Bolt the Superdog: Origins
by Australian Chaos
Summary: When Bolt is enhanced with super-powers, he quickly becomes the target of a mad, green-eyed man. When Penny's father is taken by Calico, Bolt and Penny are forced on an adventure to rescue him...but is it already too late? Full summary in my profile.
1. Prologue: Chosen Fate

**Prologue**

**Chosen Fate**

The bell on the door tinkled as it opened, a man entering the pet store, with his daughter right behind him, literally shaking with what appeared to be untold levels of excitement.

The man looked down at his daughter as she looked feverishly around the store, obviously looking for something. "Daddy, where are they?" she cried loudly, her excitement making itself even more pronounced in her high, innocent voice. "Are they here?"

The man laughed, shaking his head. "Relax, Penny," he said, in a futile attempt to calm his daughter down. "I'm sure the one you want is here somewhere." He couldn't help but chuckle as Penny continued to peer into every nook and cranny of the store she could she from the entryway. Even now, after raising her for close to eight years, it still surprised him when Penny got excited like this. She seemed to have an endless supply of energy.

As the man's thoughts continued to wander, the store's owner came into view around a set of shelves. His name-tag identified him as Joe, and that he was the owner and manager of the store, and judging by the small size of the store, the only one working here, too. He seemed to be in his mid-to-late forties, with tanned skin, dark, balding hair, and a marginally plump physique. Overall, his appearance suggested someone who was extremely kind and gentle, and the man knew that Joe's looks were not deceiving, the two were fairly good friends. In such a small town like Silverlake, everyone knew each other.

Joe smiled when he saw who had arrived. "Oh, hey there, Richard!" he greeted happily, his soft voice conveying the same aura of kindness as his appearance. "What brings you and Penny here today?" He shook the man, Richard's hand as he spoke, before ruffling Penny's hair. The girl shoved his hand away, continuing to look around anxiously.

Richard looked down at Penny, before looking at Joe, smiling. "I think Penny makes it a little obvious...we're here to get her a pet!"

Joe smiled even wider. "Ah, yes, it's Penny's birthday, today, isn't it?" Penny responded by nodding her head as fast as she could her could, her energy still brimming over. "You're eight, aren't you, Penny?" Another nod, as Joe knelt down in front of Penny. "Well, happy birthday! Now," Joe stood back up, turning back to Richard, "exactly what are we after today?"

Richard thought for a second, deciding how best to explain his request. It may be Penny's dog, but he needed certain traits in the dog, for both his own private reasons, and for some peace-of-mind that Penny was getting her ultimate companion. Finally he turned to Penny. "Penny, why don't you go take a look, see if you can find one you like. I need to talk with Joe for a moment."

"Okay!" Penny cried, although she was already zipping away as she said it.

Both Richard and Joe chuckled as they watched Penny run off. "She's been like that all day, since I told her I'd get her one this morning," Richard explained.

Joe nodded in agreement. "She been after a pet for some time, hasn't she?"

Richard nodded back. "Years."

They both stood in silence for a brief moment, before Joe clapped his hands together. "So, what are we looking for today? I'm assuming..."

"Yes, a dog." Richard completed Joe's sentence for him. "Penny's always wanted her own puppy, so that's what she's getting. It is her present, after all."

Joe seemed to get distracted for a second, changing topic suddenly. "Speaking of Penny, why now? She's wanted one for years, why have you waited until now?"

"I had to wait until Penny was both old enough, and responsible enough, to look after the animal herself. My work doesn't allow me to take care of it for her. I had to jump through hoops just to get today off so I could be with her for her birthday. I think that, now, Penny is responsible enough, she should be able to care for her pet very well."

"Of course," Joe said, his face staring off in the distance as he fell into thought once more. "Now, how about specifics? Or is it just just whichever one Penny chooses?"

Richard wrapped an arm over Joe's shoulders, the two of them pacing around the front of the store as Richard talked. "This is what I wanted to talk to you about. Obviously this is Penny's puppy, and as such it's her choice. But, there are some specifics I would like, both for Penny, and for my own reasons, mostly my own peace of mind."

"Okay," Joe said, nodding to mark that he understood Richard's request so far. "Go on."

"Now, I need a very specific dog, here. I'm looking for a working dog. Something strong, fast, hardy...it essentially needs to almost replace me as a guardian for Penny. My work is becoming more demanding, and I just can't be with Penny as much as I'd like to. It also needs to be able to cope with Penny's excessive energy." Both of them chuckled at that. "On top of being that, it also needs to be able to control itself. You know, despite it strength and energy, it needs to be gentle and loyal to those it trusts. What I'm trying to say is, it needs - "

"It needs to be Penny's ultimate companion." Joe finished. He continued when Richard nodded. "You're after a dog than can be both her protector and her best friend, right?"

"Right."

Joe seemed to stop, thinking for a moment. "It's a tricky request. It's hard to get a dog with that sort of combination...what age area are you looking for?"

Richard smiled. "Penny's specifically requesting a young puppy. Most likely something a few weeks old."

Joe frowned. "That complicates things slightly, because I cannot guarantee that you will get exactly what you're after. However, a Shepherd of some sort sounds like it would suit your needs best, as they're a strong working dog, and are generally very fond of those they trust. But like I said, with a newborn pup, there's no guarantees."

"I understand," Richard replied. He had expected this, and was willing to make compromises if it turned out to be the case. "Do you have any Shepherd pups here?" Richard knew this was the tricky part. Being such a small store, Joe only ever had a small selection of dogs in the store at any one time. The chances of him finding something here were slim.

Joe's face lifted, causing Richard to sigh with relief. "You're in luck, Richard! Just a couple of days ago we got a White Shepherd puppy in from the nearby Animal Shelter. And I think he'd be just about perfect for both you and Penny, he's the cutest little thing I've ever seen!"

"Alright!" Richard rubbed his hands together, glad the situation had unfolded so well. "Let's see him, then!"

* * * * *

Penny made her way through the pet store, her excitement and happiness completely uncontrollable. _I'm getting a puppy! I'm getting a puppy! I'm getting a puppy! _She skipped through the small store, stopping every now and again as some animal caught her attention. She giggled in the aquarium section when she noticed, amongst a tank of small goldfish, one with massive eyes that were literally popping out of its head, which Penny always called 'Goggle-Eyes'. She moved from the aquarium to the reptile tank, but didn't stay long. She wasn't afraid of snakes, or any other reptile, but they still creeped her out slightly.

Then Penny found what she was looking for. Two raised benches, with clear plastic sides and open tops, allowing for easy viewing of the contents. These were the pens for the cats and dogs Joe's store offered. She immediately moved to the closest one, slightly disappointed to find it was the cat pen, but nevertheless stopped to peer inside. The store was only holding three little kittens at the moment. Penny giggled at two of them, who were locked tightly in a fierce wrestling match, pouncing on top of each other and rolling around, squealing and growling constantly. The third was off in a corner, curled up, sleeping peacefully.

After watching the wrestling match for a moment, Penny moved to the other pen, her excitement reaching new heights as she spotted the puppies. There was roughly half-a-dozen of them, each of them different kind. There was a large black Labrador pup resting in a corner, and a spotted Dalmatian relentlessly chasing its own tail. In the middle of the pen three little terriers pulled at each others ears, yapping and growling, one occasionally getting distracted by something else in the pen and running off.

But it was the last puppy Penny saw that made her gasp. _That's it! That's my puppy!_

She almost missed it, since its pure white fur blended in so well with the newspaper laid out on the floor of the pen. It was only the brilliant purity of the white that allowed Penny to spot it. There was not a single mark or blemish on the fur whatsoever. The entire dog was white except for the pink inside ear, the black nose and paws, and the massive brown eyes. The little White Shepherd was chasing a squeaky orange toy shaped like a carrot, grabbing in his mouth and whipping it around, before throwing it away and repeating the whole spectacle over again...at least until it noticed Penny.

When their eyes met, the last of Penny's doubts faded...this was her puppy, this was the one she was going to have. The puppy raised itself up on its hind legs, forelegs pressed against the plastic window, looking up at Penny, panting insistently, its tail wagging so fast it was actually causing the newspaper around it the ripple in the wind. The puppy stared at Penny for a few moments, before it noticed the fast-moving appendage behind it, and immediately chased after it, barking as it ran circles around itself, occasionally changing direction in a futile attempt to catch its own tail.

Penny laughed, pressing her own hand against the glass as the puppy turned his attention back to her, looking at her pleadingly as she grinned from ear to ear, her choice made. "That one!"

* * * * *

Richard and Joe walked up to the dog pen just as Penny spoke. Richard instantly noticed the White Shepherd Penny was staring at, and turned to Joe. "That's him?"

Joe nodded. "The one I was talking about."

Richard turned to Penny, smiling. So Joe had the perfect dog in today, and Penny had fallen in love with it almost instantly. But still, he had to be sure... "You think so, Penny?"

Penny whipped around, jumping a little, obviously startled. She had been so focused on the puppy that she hadn't noticed them behind her. "Yes!" she cried. "He's perfect!"

Richard's smile widened. Penny had definitely made her choice. But still, was he really appropriate for what Richard wanted him to do? He turned back to Joe. "Can I have a closer look at him?"

"Sure!" Joe walked over to the pen, pulling the puppy out with both hands, which caused Penny to actually start jumping, hopping a little on the spot.

"Ohh! Ohh, daddy, can I hold him, please?!" she pleaded, looking up at Richard with her best begging face.

Richard had dealt with that face many times in the past, and was used to it. But it still had an effect. "Maybe...if Joe says you can, once I'm done."

With that, Joe passed the puppy to Richard, who held it in front of him, examining it carefully. The first thing that Richard noticed was the fur. He had never seen a dog's coat so brilliantly pure in its colour before. It looked almost unnatural, like someone had deliberately drained the fur of all colour. He looked everywhere, but there was no mark on the fur at all, the entire coat was the same pure white. The purity of it held a strange beauty in Richard's eyes. He continued his inspection, checking for any problems with the puppy. There was sign of any illness, disease or infection on the dog. Like the fur coat, the skin and teeth were free of any blemishes or marks, or any other sign of infections. The claws were perfect as well, no chipping or scratching. Richard checked over the puppy again, and got exactly the same result. He then felt the muscle and bone structure under the puppy's skin, and again was greeted with perfection. For such a young puppy, his muscles were already well-developed and strong, and there again no signs of any problems. Richard could only gape at Joe as he handed the puppy back; the dog was in perfect health and condition. "Where'd you find this one?" he asked breathlessly.

Joe smiled knowingly. "Like I said, the Animal Shelter. But I was amazed when I checked him, too. The Shelter says they just found him wandering outside their front door a week back. They have no idea where he came from, or how he came to them in such good condition. Personally, I think this little Shepherd's a miracle! His health and general condition are perfect in every way, and he looks a million dollars, even after a fight with one of the other pups a few days ago. If I don't say so myself, I don't think you'll find a more perfect example of the White Shepherd anywhere!"

Richard knew Joe wasn't boasting, merely stating his opinion, and he was inclined to agree with him. The puppy was as perfect as any you could ask for. And if the general behaviour and temperment of the breed were any measure, he would be perfect for himself and Penny, too.

But before Richard could say anything more, Penny yanked at his pants leg. "Dad, pleeeaase! Please can I hold him?"

Richard sighed, then looked at Joe, throwing the question to him. Penny looked at Joe, who smiled, silently handing the puppy down to Penny.

"Thank you!" she cried as she took the Shepherd in her arms, bending her knees slightly at the sudden weight, obviously not expecting him to be quite so heavy. She sat down on the floor as he held the puppy, groaning with the weight. "You're heavy," she commented happily.

The puppy heard her, and responded by licking her eagerly in the face, Penny yelling out, putting the dog in her lap so she could free her hands to push the dog away from her face, Richard and Joe looking at each other and smiling the whole time. Finally the puppy settled down and leapt off Penny's lap, simply standing in front of her as she wiped the drool from her, grumbling.

"Slobbery, too," she added to her previous comment as she petted the animal, looking back up at her father. "Can we get him, dad?"

Richard smiled, deciding to tease his daughter one last time. "Sure, of course we can...if you can come up with a name for him!"

Penny's smile faded as she fell deep in thought, struggling to come up with a name. Finally she looked up at Joe. "What did you call him?"

Richard looked at Joe, who looked as surprised as he himself was by the question. "Uhh...well, I never really gave him a name. I - "

"Why not?" Penny demanded.

"So people like you can come up with your own names," Joe replied kindly. "But if you really want to know, the Shelter I got him from called him 'Bolt', although I don't know why - "

At the word 'Bolt', the puppy went nuts, tearing towards Joe with a speed that shocked everyone. The little creature shot around Joe's legs, before returning to Penny's side just as quickly.

Richard was the first to recover. "I guess that's why!" he finally said, amazed by the show of speed. _But then that's what the puppy was, _Richard thought. _Amazing._

"Bolt..." Penny tried out the name, the puppy once again tearing off, running circles around Penny, yapping the whole time. "He likes it...and I like it! Yeah, Bolt it is! Now, can we get him?!"

Richard laughed at Penny's persistence. She was had been stubborn in her own unique way, always wanting to know what was going on around her. Richard had another one of those moments he frequently had, where he thought that Penny would make an excellent detective one day. But the moment passed quickly, when he realised that she was still waiting for his answer.

"Alright, Penny," he finally said, causing Penny to whoop and yell. "He's Bolt, and he's all yours!"

Penny turned back to the puppy...Bolt, her new puppy. "You hear that, Bolt?" she cuddled him once more as he yapped happily. "You're my good boy now!"


	2. Chapter 1: Lost and Found

**Chapter 1**

**Lost and Found**

"Bolt! Here, Bolt! Bolt!"

Penny's cries rang through the small park in the centre square of Silverlake as she ran all around, and through, the small plot of grass and trees, continuing to call out desperately for her companion, panic filling her, leaving her unable to think clearly. It had been five years, five glorious, blissful years, since Penny had acquired Bolt from the pet store, and this was the first, and only, time he had run off.

The last five years were some of the best Penny had ever experienced. Ever since her mother, Tanya, had died nine years ago, Penny had always had this missing place inside her, the gaping hole in her soul that, no matter what happened, had always left her feeling lonely, even when she had companions and friends around. That had changed when she had found Bolt. The void had been filled, she was no longer lonely, as she always had Bolt. There was always a part of her that would long for her mother, had she had learned, years ago, to shut it out...all that had really mattered was the sense of loneliness, and now it was gone, because she knew that, no matter what happened, Bolt was always there. Every day when she went to school, she was forced to leave Bolt behind, which they both hated. Bolt had even, for a time, tried to follow Penny to school. But, naturally, the school did not approve of pets, and as such, Penny was forced to teach Bolt to stay at home. But even the times at school were happier, because she knew Bolt would always be waiting for her when she got home, with Mister Carrot in his mouth, ready to play away the rest of the afternoon. Within their first year as companions, Penny had taught Bolt all the basic obedience tricks, but to such a level that he no longer needed a leash to restrain him. He would never leave Penny's side unless severely distracted, and even then, he would be back by her side the moment she called him. Within two years they had become inseparable, Penny being forced to move Bolt's bed, along with all his toys and other possessions, into her room, or else stay awake all night listening to him whine and howl. With the exception of school, they went everywhere together, and always without the leash. The rest of the small country town soon recognised the two of them, and by the time Bolt was three, no-one ever challenged the presence of a White Shepherd in town without a leash, knowing that Penny was nearby, if not at the dog's side. It was not long before all of the town's restaurants, cafes, and shops simply accepted Bolt's level of training and obedience, and allowed him inside their stores, knowing there would be no trouble with him whatsoever.

A side-effect of this level of loyalty was the bond Penny and Bolt shared. To put it most simply, they understood each other on a level unseen in any relationship between a person and their pet. Both of them seemed to know what the other was thinking. Over the years, the two of them had learned to understand each other's body language. Penny could tell, just at a glance, what kind of mood Bolt was in, and if was at all feeling ill or in any pain. Bolt was exactly the same, he understood Penny's body language, and even seemed to understand little snippets of English, too. There was never any confusions between the two as to what the other was feeling, they could read each other like books. The effect was that the two of them grew closer than any other person-pet relationship ever, period. To Penny, Bolt was her brother, and her best friend, and she knew that no human could ever replicate the bond between them, they would never even come close. The bond she shared with Bolt was both unique and special.

But that only served to make his sudden disappearance even stranger.

This morning, when Penny had woken up, Bolt wasn't with her, in her room, as he usually was, waiting for her to wake up. She had dismissed that, as he had done it before. If he was bored in the morning, and Penny was sleeping in, he might head off to entertain himself until she got up. Since it was the beginning of school holidays, Penny had slept in through most of the morning. But she had begun to worry when she had her breakfast, and he still had not showed up. When Bolt did not answer her calls after that, Penny knew something was wrong. She had searched the house right through, from the attic to the floorboards, and out into the backyard. Only after that thorough search did she realise that Bolt had disappeared, run off.

And now here she was, darting frantically through Silverlake Park, calling for her companion, stopping anyone she came across and questioning them as well. Everyone in town knew who she was, and who Bolt was, but no-one had seen the Shepherd anywhere. Penny's panic reached new heights with each passing second. Surely, in a town as small as Silverlake, someone had seen Bolt somewhere? After running through the park three times, she finally began to search the rest of the town. She went to all the local shops that she and Bolt had been to together, but once again, no-one had seen him. In desperation, she went to Joe's Pet Store, to see if Bolt had gone there, but Joe had simply shook his head sadly.

After searching the school, Penny was both desperate and frustrated. _He can't have just vanished! _her mind cried._ Someone must have seen him!_

"Penny!"

Penny spun at the call, instantly hopeful. "You found him?!" she cried instantly, before stopping when she saw a handsome teenage boy walking towards her.

"What?" the boy replied, confused. "What are you talking about? And what are you doing here, of all places?"

Penny sighed, at the same time both realising who she was talking to, and that he was not here about Bolt's disappearance. _Great,_ she thought bitterly. _More unwanted attention._

The boy was Brady, one of Penny's classmates. They were both in seventh grade at the town single, small secondary school. Brady, like Penny was thirteen, but, to Penny, that's where the similarities ended. Brady was generally considered the popular kid in the grade. All the boys wanted to be part of his circle of friends, and all the girls just wanted a piece of them...all except Penny, anyway. He had the smooth, styled hair and perfectly-proportioned, well defined features that Penny thought, with mild amusement, would make him perfect for photo shoots for various magazines. Despite his family's lack of riches, no-one who lived in Silverlake was wealthy, Brady always seemed to have the latest clothes and gadgets, furthering his popularity among his classmates. To everyone who knew him, he was perfect.

Penny didn't exactly dislike Brady, but nor did she like him, either. To her, he was more of an annoyance. Penny saw right through his veil of fancy clothes and ultimate style. She knew the boy underneath was one who relished in his popularity, and who sought to get exactly what he wanted, exactly when he wanted it...he was self-obsessed, and though he was perfect...which was probably why he chased Penny. Of all the girls in the school, although there weren't that many, Brady had, for some reason, taken a liking to Penny when she first started seventh grade. He brushed off all the other girls who drooled over him, and sought to charm Penny any way he could. The fact that Penny had no desire to go out with Brady on any level only seemed to spur him on more, convincing him not that Penny was not interested, but more that she was simply playing hard-to-get. He just would not take a hint, and Penny had since just ignored him, going about her normal life.

Penny could not understand what made him latch on to her so desperately, anyway. She was just a regular thirteen-year-old girl living in a quiet country town. The only thing she could think of was the paradox she presented between her physical appearance, and her personality. She was short-cut, straight red hair that fell to her neck, and a soft facial structure that made her look a few years younger than she actually was. The only thing that gave her away as a teenager was her clothing. She always, whenever she could, wore the same red hoodie, with a black shirt and jeans, just your typical teenager. The paradox came from the fact that, although Penny rarely believed it herself, everyone told her that she acted more like a young adult of eighteen to twenty, not a young teenager. Even her father had said this on multiple occasions, and almost everyone likened it to the fact that she had lost her mother when she was young, and as such had been forced to grow up early. In a town where everyone knew each other, Penny was particularly unique. She looked so young, yet acted so old. Penny could only suspect that this was the reason Brady chased after, and as such assumed that this was what this latest meeting was about. She was not disappointed.

"I could hear you yelling from across town," Brady said, his voice airing confidence and self-pride. "What's going on?"

"Bolt's missing," Penny said simply, in no mood to take any of Brady's advances.

"You mean that white mutt of yours?" Brady pressed, looking shocked, although he overdid it slightly. "Really? I though the two of you got along well!"

"We do!" Penny snapped. "I don't know what happened, and no-one has seen him at all!"

"That's terrible!" Brady cried, although it was obvious he wasn't feeling too terrible about it at all, which left Penny furious.

_He's trying to use Bolt's disappearance to get close to me! _she realised, disgusted at Brady's complete lack of concern.

But Brady never saw Penny's fury, continuing in his confident conversation. "Listen, Penny..." he pretended to hesitate for a second. "If...if you ever need to talk...to someone, I'm here."

Penny snorted in disgust. "You, Brady, will be the _last_ person I talk to about this! Now just leave me alone, I have to find Bolt!" With that, she made to storm off.

"Oh, come on, Penny!" Brady called. "Can we please just drop the act and admit the truth?!"

Penny turned around, knowing that there was fire in her eyes as her anger continued to built. "What truth?"

"That all this, this avoiding me, turning me down, it's all a game!" Brady called. There was no hint of deception in his voice, he truly believed what he was saying. "I know, deep down, you can't stop thinking about me! So what do you say, huh? Let's head to Macca's and talk over a Coke, huh?"

At this, Penny actually laughed in sad, disgusted amusement. "You...are...unbelievable, Brady! My dog, who is _my entire world_, is missing, and all you can think about is getting me to go on a date with you?!" she turned and walked off, calling behind her, "I always knew you were dumb to chase me, but that is just sad!"

"Have it your way!" Brady called back after her defiantly. "You'll see! You'll come to me eventually!"

But Penny ignored him as she walked back into town, and resumed her search.


	3. Chapter 2: Secrets

**Chapter 2**

**Secrets**

When Penny got back to her and Richard's house, on the outskirts of town, and trudged inside, she was on the verge of tears.

After the incident with Brady, Penny had spent the rest of the morning, and a large part of the afternoon, continuing her desperate search for Bolt. She had gone over the entire town again, asking everyone all over again if there was any news. And once again, everyone was forced to shake their heads and kindly promise her that they would call the moment he turned up. Finally, at around two in the afternoon, she passed off the situation as hopeless and returned home, although she was devastated as she walked through the door. _What happened?_ her mind cried. _Where had Bolt gone?_

In one last, desperate attempt, Penny searched through the house once more, hoping, praying, that Bolt had miraculously come home. But there was no such luck as, once again, a search of the house, from top to bottom, and all around as well, gave her nothing, even when she called out for him. She could hear no happy barking, no desperate whine...there was nothing.

He was gone.

Slowly, Penny's panic faded, only to be replaced with a consuming, crushing despair. Bolt, her closest companion, and ultimate friend for five blissful years, was gone, vanished in the night. The realisation hit her like a physical blow, and she leaned against the wall of her bedroom, sinking to floor as she fought back tears, trying desperately to bring her raging emotions under control. But it was a hopeless struggle, and eventually she gave in, sobbing quietly as she huddled in the corner of her room, wishing only for her best friend back.

Her mind immediately went into overdrive, trying to determine exactly what had happened. _Why had Bolt run away?_ It just made no sense. There was no reason he would disappear. Bolt would never leave her side, for anything. There were only three reasons he would ever move more than twenty yards from Penny. Either something had distracted him, or moving away from her would somehow either make her happier, or protect her from harm. But neither of those made any sense. There was nothing to distract him in the house, and Bolt generally showed little interest in chasing other dogs, or even cats...he seemed to live for Penny. Besides, when Penny had searched the house, she had noted that all the windows and doors were firmly shut and locked. Even if Bolt wanted to leave, he could not open the doors or windows. Penny began to consider the possibility that, when dad had left for work early in the morning, as he did every morning while Penny was still sleeping, that Bolt had possibly sneaked out with him, but she dismissed that instantly. Her father would have noticed an adult White Shepherd trying to follow him out of the house, he was too big, he made too much noise. But then what if dad had...

Then, in that instant, it became clear to Penny. Bolt had been taken! Stolen from her house!

There was no other explanation, no other reason why Bolt would leave...he was taken, forced away from her! But Penny's triumphant moment was shattered a second later when the revelation posed only more questions. But who had taken him, and why? Where would they keep him? Again, it just made no sense, there was no reason for anyone to steal a five-year-old White Shepherd, not unless...

...unless it was to get to Penny!

Someone had stolen Bolt to hurt Penny. But once again, the questions remained. Who? And why? And then, once again, Penny had a revelation, and she once again saw the only answer...

Brady! It was the only explanation! Bolt would only be missing for this long if he was being forced to stay away, and the only person that would do that would be Brady. Penny realised that he must have the idea in his head that, without Bolt, Penny's loneliness would eventually cause her to come to him. Penny had a sudden, raging urge to find Brady and confront him, demand for Bolt's return, but she stopped herself. Brady would have hidden Bolt, and with his stuck-up personality, he would not give up his secret easily, she needed to find a way to prove that he had done it.

But her thoughts ground to a halt when she heard the front door of the house open. Penny checked her wristwatch, noting that it was closing in on three in the afternoon. _Of course,_ Penny realised. _Dad's home._

But Penny didn't really care that much. She was still reeling from Bolt's disappearance, and her discovery that Brady was the only one that would have done it. She was just going to have to tell her father what had happened, and hoped that he would help her.

Penny looked up suddenly when she heard a loud, insistent barking, coming from the front door. It was a bark she would recognise anywhere. It as Bolt!

Forgetting everything about her fears, Penny jumped to her feet and dashed out of her room, crashing through the house, calling her companion as she raced for the doorway. When she finally reached the front door, she didn't even have time to take in the scene before her before a white, furry mass leapt at her, pushing her hard in the chest, knocking her to the floor. Bolt then jumped on top of his person, barking happily and licking any part of Penny's face he could find, as Penny laughed and struggled desperately to fend him off. "It's okay, Bolt! I'm fine! Bolt, come on, get off me!"

It took Bolt a full minute to calm down enough to jump off Penny, who immediately rose to her knees, finally able to take a good look at her friend. In the five years she and Bolt had been together, Bolt had grown immensely. He was small for a White Shepherd, but even that in itself was large. From nose to tail, he was almost as long as Penny was tall, and his back reached up to the height of Penny's waist. Mostly, Bolt was a regular adult Shepherd, except for a few minor details. His ears was unusually large for a dog, as were his eyes. In fact, his whole face had retained a rather puppy-ish demeanour. Penny smiled when she remember the coincidence this presented with herself. Bolt looked far younger than he was, but acted so much older. But aside from these, he hadn't changed a bit. His fur was still the same pure, unblemished white it always had been, and every part of his physical appearance was perfect, thanks to constant caring and cleaning by Penny.

Penny looked Bolt up and down, making sure everything was fine, that he hadn't been hurt in any. But he was just as he was before he had disappeared; clean, healthy and strong. He was fine. Whatever had happened to him today, he was fine, and that was all that mattered.

Penny then looked up, noticing that her father was still standing on the threshold, watching the two of them with a big grin on his face. Richard was in his late thirties, and constantly looked run-down. He never had time to manage his appearance, thanks to his excessive work hours, and as such, always sported a shock of wild brown hair that was almost as long as Penny's, and flew in every direction. On top of that, he sported a short, full beard, which had the same wild, unmanaged appearance as his hair. His work had also affected his more general appearance. Lines had started appearing on his face, making him look a few years older than he was. He had bags under his eyes, although he never seemed completely exhausted somehow. His blue eyes held a weariness, and, at least to Penny, had also seemed troubled lately. The rest of his face generally gave the impression of a man who was remarkably soft and selfless...the perfect father.

Penny's attention was once again diverted to Bolt as he insisted on yapping and trying to lick her face once more. "Hey, where've you been, you silly animal?" She hugged him tightly, wrapping her arms over his back, moved almost to tears by her happiness. "Don't ever scare like that again," she whispered softly, before turning to her father. "Where'd you find him, dad? I looked everywhere!"

Richard's smile vanished, and his look became exceptionally guilty. In the brief moment before he spoke, Penny realised the truth. "Penny, dear, I'm so sorry, but I had to take Bolt with me to work last night."

Even though Penny had predicted it a moment beforehand, she was still shocked to hear it. "What? But...why?" was all she could say.

"I..." Richard seemed to struggle to find words for a moment, then finally sighed. "I needed him for work. We're working on a project that - you know I can't say what it is, Penny," he added sharply as Penny opened her mouth to speak. "That we need Bolt for, and I only just got the call to bring him in last night, while you were still asleep."

"I..." Penny stopped, frowning when she saw something in her father's look, something she didn't like. "You've been planning this for a while, haven't you?" she demanded. Penny was normally very gentle, but when Bolt got involved, she got very moody, very fast.

"I..." It seemed to be the only word anyone could say. Richard seemed to be about to argue, but sighed once more. "Okay, Penny, I'll give you the truth. Yes, this project was part of reason I bought Bolt. My boss had requested a dog like Bolt...he was always meant to be your companion, and this was sort of a way to get something going at work at the same time."

Penny's frown deepened. She did not like what she was hearing at all. Bolt had been bought so he could be used by her father's work...but for what? Penny knew next-to-nothing about Calico Technology. All she knew was that it was an extremely secretive research and development company that seemed to specialise in next-generation technology, although they had only publicly released a few products. Despite the secrecy and limited releases, the company was extremely successful, thanks mostly to the planning of the company's CEO, a man by the name of Doctor Robert Calico. Penny knew, once again, next to nothing about the mysterious, Britain-born American who led the company. All she really knew for certain was that dad worked there as some sort of researcher, and that he worked on various projects and experiments...

She grew horrified as she considered the possibility that dad had begun using Bolt as an experiment. "Dad, are you...performing experiments on Bolt?!" she said quietly, her voice startlingly calm. But Penny knew if she got the wrong answer from her father, she would explode there and then.

Richard raised his arms defensively. "No, no, no! Of course not, Penny! I just...needed some samples from him; blood, hair, that sort of thing."

"But why?"

"You know I can't say, Penny, we just went through this." Richard grew stern once more. "But I promise you, that's all I did to him."

Penny grumbled, she wasn't entirely convinced that her father was telling the truth. Five years...just for some samples? No, Penny was certain her father was hiding something. But she could not find a way of forcing him to tell her, so she just changed topic slightly. "Will you need him again?" she asked, whispering once more to help control her raging emotions.

"I don't think so," Richard said, seeming to think hard. "I'm fairly certain that I have what I need from him...but I can't promise anything, they might want something from him again...but I promise I'll tell you next time, okay?"

Penny knew her father wanted to drop the conversation, but she wanted to make sure he knew what had happened to her today. "I was worried sick, today, dad. I thought he had run off, or been taken, or... Dad, Bolt's the only real friend I've got."

Richard's guilty expression returned. "I know, and I am sorry."

"Just make sure you tell me next time, okay dad? Even if it means waking me up in the middle of the night."

Richard looked down at Penny. "I promise, okay. If he means that much to you, I'll wake you up if I need to take him again." He paused, looking at Penny's worried expression as she hugged Bolt once more. "And I promise you, I have not done anything to..."

"What is this?" Penny demanded suddenly, looking up furiously at her father, whilst pointing at Bolt.

There, on Bolt's left side, stretching from his shoulder to his hip, was a black, lightning-bolt-shaped mark.


	4. Chapter 3: The Mark

**Chapter 3**

**The Mark**

The mark was a deep, pure black, standing out perfectly against Bolt's pure white fur. Penny felt along the mark, and was surprised to note that there didn't seem to be any trace of paint or marker, or any other substance that had been smeared across the fur to create the mark...the colouring seemed to have been ingrained directly into the fur strands themselves. It looked and felt exactly like a birth-mark, or a colour blemish in the fur, but Penny knew better. She knew that Bolt had not had any markings on his fur before today, let alone one so distinctive and large. This had been a result of Bolt's trip with dad, and Penny knew it.

She looked up at her father, her face contorted with anger. "How did this happen?"

Richard looked at the mark for a second, before stifling a chuckle. "I'm sorry, Penny. I know you don't find this funny, but it was quite amusing when you understand it. You know Larry, don't you?"

"Of course," Penny replied, fighting to keep her voice even. Larry was the only other person she knew of that worked at Calico Technology, and then that was only because he and Richard were workmates there. All she knew about him really was that he lived here in Silverlake too, along with his family, and he worked in the same department of the company as Richard, the two of them often working together on projects. She had visited him with her dad a couple of times, and got along well with both him and his family, but did not know an awful lot about them. Shaking her mind back to the present, Penny brought the subject back on topic. "What does he have to do with this?"

"Well, I had to leave Bolt in the office for a short time, and when I came back, I found him with Bolt...with that mark on his side! Larry thought it would be a nice joke to pull on you, particularly considering he's called Bolt. I asked him to remove the mark, 'cause I knew you'd be furious, but he just kept laughing at me. I've tried removing it, but it won't budge. I have no idea what he used to make the mark, but it's stuck in his fur really good."

Penny's face softened slightly, although her mood remained sour. She got the feeling from Richard's voice that her father was hiding something, but she let it pass. What other explanation was there? She allowed herself a small smile, forcing herself to accept that it was just a harmless, although cruel, prank on Larry's part. "I'm gonna kill him when I see him next!" she said light-heartedly.

"Come on, Penny, it's not that bad. The mark's completely harmless...and besides, I think it suits him."

Penny involuntarily looked back at the mark, looking for her own opinion on the matter. She surprised herself when she realised that her father was right; the mark did seem to suit him. It went almost perfectly with his name, and the black mark on the white fur somehow just...worked. It seemed to further highlight his unique nature, and the incomparable bond the two of them shared. Bolt chose that moment to yap at Penny, as if to declare that he himself liked the mark as well.

"Even if it does suit him," Penny finally said. "I want it off, can we just try to get it off?"

"Of course," Richard replied. "I think he's overdue for his bath anyway."

Ten minutes later, Penny and Richard were kneeling beside the bathtub, scrubbing away at Bolt's sodden body with everything they had. Despite their efforts, the mark was refusing to budge, or even fade in any way. It just stubbornly stayed there, giving Penny fresh doubts over her father's explanation. It still looked as though the mark was _inside_ the fur, not marked over it, and that the core colouring of the fur had been changed. But nevertheless, she continued to try and remove it, continuing in her efforts long after Richard gave up the situation as hopeless. She added every dog shampoo, soap and whatever else she could find in the bathroom to the mark in an attempt to have at least some effect. But at last, after a solid two hours in the bathroom, with Richard having prepared dinner, she was at last forced to accept that the mark was not coming off, and that all she could do was wait, and hope that it faded naturally. She finally pulled Bolt out of the water and dried him off, marvelling in the way his fur always seemed to nearly shine with its own light after a bath, although the mark now provided a contrasting section of his body. Once the both of them had dried off, since Penny had gotten herself wet from trying to clean off Bolt, the two of them, made their way to the kitchen where dinner was waiting. Penny sat down to eat with her father, while Bolt simply dashed to his food bowl and practically dived into it. It seemed he hadn't had his breakfast thanks to his little trip.

During dinner, Penny decided to bring up her fears about Bolt's mark, and how it seemed like it was coming from inside his fur, and hadn't simply been painted on. The conversation once again degraded into an argument over what Richard had done to Bolt at work, and after ten minutes, the two of them simply ate in silence, Penny not willing to accept her father's explanations as truth, Richard refusing to tell her the secrets of his work.

Penny stabbed at her food, frustrated. Why was dad hiding what he had done to Bolt? Why was Calico's company so secretive? She just wanted to know what had happened to her friend...was it really too much to ask?! Her mind began to work, trying to decipher the secrets herself.

First off, she looked at Calico Technology in general. The company had numerous offices and research labs all over the United States, and even had a few international branches, with a new one being set up every few months. The nearest one was in the small and relatively new city of Highton, which was where Richard worked, although it was still a three-hour drive from Silverlake. Neither Penny, nor anyone outside the company, had any idea what went on inside the Highton Offices, although it wasn't for lack of trying. Various parties, not the least of which was the media, had attempted to sneak both themselves, and their cameras, into Calico's company, but had always been caught out. Put most simply, anyone outside of the company simply was not allowed to know what it was up to. Penny had tried everything. Books, newspapers, magazines, the Internet...there was just no record of what went on inside Calico Technology.

But what reasons would they have for needing Bolt? Why would Richard be asked to use his dog for some...experiment? They must be working on something to do with dogs, but what? The company specialised in next-gen products and technology for people, not animals. It just made no sense. Penny knew that both Calico Technology and Richard were hiding something. Whether it was the same thing, Penny didn't know, but she desperately wanted to uncover these secrets, not so much to quell her own curiosity as to ensure that Bolt was safe, that nothing bad had been done to him. She loved Bolt with all her heart, and knew she would never be able to live without him...they were simply too close.

Penny was no closer to an answer when she finished eating, deciding that some time in the backyard with Bolt might help ease the anxiety the past day had left her. She turned to Bolt. "Come on, Bolt, let's - " she froze.

Bolt was scratching away at his mark feverishly, obviously uncomfortable. Something that had been done to him had left him uncomfortable. He had scratched at several itches throughout his bath, but Penny had paid it no mind then, as she was so focused on getting the mark off. But now, she could see that someone was troubling her friend, and it was making his whole body itch. "Hey," she called soothingly, kneeling down in front of the Shepherd. "Take it easy, Bolty, what is it?" She looked Bolt over as he continued to scratch away, trying to find the source of the discomfort. But, as always, Penny could find no visible problem with Bolt. Whatever it was, it was not a physical condition...something was making Bolt feel uncomfortable. But just as Penny was about to question her father, Bolt finally seemed to find relief, and stopped scratching, panting and staring up at Penny happily, as if to reassure her that nothing was wrong.

Penny's worries seemed to melt away as she smiled back at Bolt. "Come on, you silly thing, let's go!" she darted off down the hallway, taking a quick detour through her room to grab Mr. Carrot, Bolt's favourite carrot toy, the same one he had been playing with when Penny found him at the pet store. In five years, it was somehow still in one piece, although it was badly marked and scarred with excessive chewing and general wear and tear. Several holes lines it where Bolt's teeth had actually punched through the rubbery plastic. The little squeaker inside the toy also struggled to work, barely able to make a pathetic wheeze any more. But despite the damage, Bolt still seemed to love the toy, and Penny would continued to use it with Bolt until the thing fell apart.

As Penny grabbed the toy and made for the door, her mind would not stop coming back to the days events. It had been an excessively rough day, and although she was glad she had gotten Bolt back, after fearing she had lost him, she knew something wasn't right. The dog she had gotten back was not the same Bolt that had curled up at the foot of her bed last night. There was something in his look, his stride, everything. His eyes seemed to hold a certain level of fear in them, like there was something going on inside him he could not control, and was afraid of. It scared Penny to think that Bolt was terrified of what had happened to him today. But his whole body language suggested a new-found strength, that there was something...new about him. Whatever had happened to him today, Penny knew, it had changed Bolt. For better or worse, only time would tell...the only certainty was that Bolt would never be the same again.


	5. Chapter 4: New Body

**Chapter 4**

**New Body**

As Bolt raced out of the back door with Penny, he had to stop once more, the discomfort returning once again.

_What is happening to me?_ his mind asked as he sat down, scratching at the side of his neck, where a nasty itching and discomfort had developed. He could not understand what had happened to himself since the man, who he only knew as 'The Father', had taken him away in the dead of night. Bolt sighed, his head lowering as he remembered last night, and the day's events.

He had struggled so hard when he realised what was happening, but the Father would not let him go, forcing him into those machines the people use to travel. He struggled, barked and whined, and even attempted to bite the Father at one point, but nothing would stop him, and no amount of noise seemed to be able to wake Penny up. Despite his desperation at the time from the pain of being separated from his person for the first time, he had been slightly reassured by the Father's gentle tone when he talked. He may have taken him away from Penny, but Bolt knew, deep down, that the Father loved them both, and that whatever he was doing must be important. After several minutes, he had finally been able to settle down, managing to get a small nap for the rest of the trip. Then they had arrived at this strange place. Bolt had no idea where the Father had taken him. It was a big underground area filled with more of those travelling machines, and from there, the Father had taken him through a series of rooms, which reminded Bolt of houses, only much bigger, and much plainer. After travelling through various room, hallways, and other strange places, the Father finally brought Bolt to the strangest place of all; a huge, dark room filled with all sorts of strange machinery. After the Father had done a few things, and talked to a few other people in the room with him, of which Bolt only recognised one, a man who seemed to be called Larry, he had placed Bolt on a bench, and put a strange mask over Bolt's nose and mouth, which had made him fall into a deep, peaceful sleep. When he had woken up, he was back in the travelling machine with the Father, on their way back home...to Penny.

But from that moment on, Bolt had felt...odd. His whole body felt wrong and weird, as though his presence now occupied the body of a different dog. A strange fogginess and dizziness clouded his mind, although not enough to hide what Bolt could only describe as a 'presence' hiding there, lurking in a dark, unused corner of his consciousness. He could feel it, but couldn't get to it...something seemed to be blocking his mind from accessing this other presence. Everything felt so wrong...and yet, strangely right, as well. All these new itches, the discomfort, it almost felt like it was the precursor to something he was always meant to have. But think as he might, Bolt could not come up with even the faintest idea as to what that might be. He knew Penny was worried for him, he could see it in her face, and wanted desperately to reassure her, but he knew full well that he lacked the ability to reproduce the infinitely complex speech humans used, and his fear of what was happening inside of him was making it impossible to produce a reassuring expression on his face to calm Penny.

"Come, on Bolt! Come here!" Penny called, snapping Bolt out of his thoughts, although he dropped back into them almost instantly.

As well as being completely incapable of speaking Penny's language, Bolt also had difficulty understand more than a few phrases as well. But just then, he realised that he had fully understood what he had just heard. He couldn't understand it, and only one conclusion came to his mind, the same event that had made all these changes to his body and left the lingering presence in his mind had also affected him mentally, making him more intelligent, and much more capable of understanding human speech. Even as he thought this, he realised that, ever since he had woken up, he had started seeing certain things, certain events in his past, in a new light. New truths about the world were forming before his eyes, and it was almost too much for him to grasp. Something had been done to him, he knew. He had been changed, and he would never be the same again.

Penny called him once more, and he stood back up, chasing Penny out onto the back porch, where she was waiting, waving Mr. Carrot enticingly around in her hand. "Come on, Bolt, where's your toy? Where is it, huh?"

Bolt smiled, before attempting to grab it out of Penny's hand, jumping all around her as she waved the toy around, always seeming to be one step ahead of her. He always tried to find ways of tricking Penny, but she always seemed to be able to move just that little bit faster. It was a frustrating game, but it allowed him to pass the time, and burn away excess energy, which he always seemed to have.

Finally, Penny seemed to realise Bolt was getting frustrated, and gave in. "Alright, Bolt, here it goes..." And with that, she turned out towards the backyard, and flung the toy with all her might, where it sailed out across the yard, landing with a pathetic, wheezy squeak in the dust some twenty yards away.

Bolt, having once again managed to grasp the meaning of Penny's words, even if he didn't understand their exact meaning, realised what was happening, and as such was able to focus all his attention on the toy before it was thrown. Not only that, but Bolt found that he was able to track it through the air, despite the high speed which Penny had thrown it at. Bolt stopped, startled. It seemed that, once again, his own body was defying its former limitations. He could not understand it, and he was reminded once more of the idea that he was the some dog, just in a new body. But Bolt knew that the idea was preposterous, and as such shook it off, and proceeded to chase after the toy, his stress and fears disappearing as he relished in the release of energy.

But once again, his body defied his expectations, and as such, he mis-stepped as he raced down the steps leading off the back porch, tripping as he overshot a step, crashing into the dirt head-first, yelping as he did a rather spectacular cartwheel, before coming to rest on his back several yards from the porch.

"Bolt!" Penny's voice was slightly distorted as Bolt groaned, rolling over onto his belly, shaking his head in an attempt to clear the dizziness. But before he could do much else, Penny was by his side, hugging him fiercely and checking to see if he was hurt in any way. Bolt sighed, resting for a minute to clear his muddled head, before finally looking up at Penny. "I'm fine, Penny, really." Bolt knew full well that Penny could not in any way understand his language, but it didn't matter. Even if all Penny heard was barking and growling, as long as she got the general message, everything was fine, there was no language barrier.

And Penny did seem to get Bolt's message, since she let him go and stopped inspecting him. "You sure you're okay, boy?" she asked, concern still in her voice.

"Sure!" Bolt cried back, proving it by taking off after the carrot toy once more, reaching it...and overshooting it by several yards. Sighing, now just getting frustrated by his body's new inner working, he skidded to a stop, turned around and ran back, this time pouncing firmly on the toy, which wheezed loudly. Bolt laughed, squeaking the toy a few more times, before grabbing the thing in his mouth and shaking it around violently, as if it were some animal he was hunting, before turning back to Penny, smiling through the toy. "See?"

But Penny wasn't looking at Bolt, she was facing back towards the house, where the Father was standing in the doorway...and the two of them were locked in a heated argument.

"What have you done to him?!" Penny roared, her voice and her wild gesturing suggesting she was furious, which left Bolt a little frightened. He had never seen Penny so angry before.

"Penny, we've already been through this, and I - "

"Yeah, we have!" Penny interrupted loudly. "And you lied! I don't care what you say, Bolt has been acting funny ever since you brought him home, now what have you done to him?!"

"Penny, please, just stop and think for a second!" The Father's voice was rising now, as well. "Look, I know, I shouldn't have taken him like that, at least not without telling you, but you're being silly, just - "

"Don't try to avoid it, dad! You hurt him! You did...things to him! He is my dog, and I have a right to know what you did to him!"

Bolt looked from one person to the other, frightened. He knew that the argument was about him, and seemed to have something to do with his trip with the Father today, but apart from that, he just could not glean any more meaning from the fast, heated stream of words. He cautiously approached the arguing humans, hoping their body might help him understand better.

"Penny, just stop. I have not hurt him, I have not done anything to him!" The Father's voice seemed desperate now. "And even if I had done something to him, you know as well as I do that I can't tell you!"

"Bull!" Penny cried, her temper only continuing to rise. "I don't give a damn about Calico's secrecy! This is Bolt we're talking about!"

"Penny, language!" the Father said sternly. "And you may not care about Calico's secrecy, but I do! Because, if I break that secrecy, I lose my job! Don't you get it, Penny? I want to tell you what I do, but I can't! I just can't!"

At this point Bolt finally reached Penny's side, sitting down at her feet and looking up at her. "What's going on?" he asked quietly. Penny looked down at him, her face still contorted with rage, before picking him up and, with huge effort, carrying him back inside.

"It doesn't matter, dad." Penny said, her voice now soft but dangerous. "Not any more, because I won't let you use Bolt for your...studies...any more. I will not let you hurt him!"

"What?" Bolt looked back at the Father over Penny's shoulder as he just stood there. "Where are you going?"

But Penny ignored him, marching with as much force and pride as she could under Bolt's weight, before heading into her bedroom, placing Bolt down on her bed, before slamming the door shut, flicking the lock, and settling on the floor, leaning against the door, shaking with excess anger that was obviously still flowing through her.

"Penny?" Bolt stood, jumping off the bed, approaching Penny cautiously. He was still fearful, Penny had never gotten this angry before, and Bolt knew that there was a chance that she might aim her rage at him now. But Penny's face softened when she heard him, and she opened her arms to let him onto her lap. "I'm so sorry, Bolt," she whispered as Bolt leapt up to her and hugged, both of them just wanting some comfort from the scary event that had just unfolded. "I'm so sorry...but you're okay, you're safe now."

The two of them sat there together, not moving even as the Father started to bang on the door, calling for Penny. Bolt looked up, but Penny ignored it. Eventually she grew uncomfortable on the hard wood floor, and so pushed Bolt aside and flopped down onto her bed, Bolt almost instantly moving up beside her as they lay there, night slowly falling as the Father continued to call.

Finally, as night fell completely outside the bedroom window, the calling stopped, and Bolt heard the Father walk off, most likely to go to sleep himself. Penny seemed to relax at this, and settled into a more comfortable position on the bed, Bolt remaining where he was, still slightly frightened.

He had never seen the only family he knew fight like this before. They had the occasional argument over the Father's work, but otherwise Bolt thought they were a very happy family. But Bolt knew that this was different...this was big, and Penny was still furious now. He knew that Penny was going to have a very hard time forgiving the Father for whatever it was he had done, and that scared Bolt more than anything else. Because if this family fell apart, what would happen to him?


	6. Chapter 5: Consequences

**Chapter 5**

**Consequences**

_Richard strapped a large, baggy helmet over his head, sealing his biohazard suit with a faint hiss, the self-contained air starting to flow through the suit, leaving Richard with a bad taste in his mouth._

_He tuned back to the Sequencing Chamber, his face downcast. He hated this. He hated everything about it. Because there, inside the small, clear chamber, was Bolt. The Shepherd lay on the floor of the chamber, out cold. Richard had been forced to put him to sleep so that he wouldn't panic or struggle during the process. But he still hated it. He was betraying Penny with every move he made, and putting Bolt's life in danger, and for what? Richard just did not understand why he was doing this. It was wrong...downright evil, in fact...but he had to do it. If he defied Calico, everything he had worked for, both his life, and Penny's, would be destroyed in an instant._

_Besides, if this worked, he had a chance to change everything, to correct all his wrongs, to put everything back in its place. But the risks were so high...a lot more than his job and his way of life were at stake here. A lot more..._

_"I'm sorry, Penny," he whispered as he turned away from Bolt, and moved to the chamber's control display. "I have no choice..."_

_He started pressing buttons and throwing switches, causing the Sequencing Chamber to come to life. This was it...five years solid work and research hung on this moment...this one test. If this failed, Calico would probably have his head...but if it worked, Penny would have his head anyway. He calibrated the machine exactly the way his research suggested, then started typing away at a computer, spending several minutes fine-tuning the machine's calibration. Once he had set everything up, he pressed a red button on the wall marked "Isolation". An alarm started blaring, and all the doors in the room sealed, the room's pressure lowering slightly, even as it was made completely airtight. Richard could not risk a local disaster if the machine failed. He was dealing with dangerous radiation, and had to take every safety precaution in the book, and a few others besides. If anything went wrong, any dangerous materials would not be able to leave the room._

_Finally, after hesitating for a moment, and with one last quiet apology to Penny, Richard threw the final switch, beginning the process. Almost instantly, there was a flash of light inside of Bolt's chamber, and tendrils of energy flew across it like a hundred bolts of yellow lightning, arcing all around, and in many cases through, Bolt. Richard turned, looking at the several computer screens, which were displaying vital stats about the chamber. Energy and Radiation levels spiked sharply, but hovered well below the danger levels for the machine. _Good,_ Richard thought._ The machine's working properly._ Other meters, which monitored over vital stats about the chamber, hovered at their predicted levels. Everything was working exactly as it should._

_Richard turned to another set of monitors, which were reserved for monitoring Bolt's vital signs, as well as other critical signs. As he became more and more exposed to the controlled radiation and energy, his various vital signs started becoming more erratic, as other bodily functions started going haywire. But Richard didn't panic, as this was to be expected...Bolt's was being altered to the core, his very genetic make-up was being completely re-written._

_"Dad..." the voice made Richard jump violently. He spun on the spot, turning away from the machine, to find Penny standing there, alone, a look of pure hurt and betrayal on her face._

_"Penny?" Richard cried, bewildered. "What are you - "_

_"How could you, dad?" Penny said softly, as tears streaked down her face. "How could you?"_

_"Penny." Richard turned back to Bolt, still lying in the chamber, as he spoke. "Penny, it's not what it..."_

_"He was my friend, dad." Penny continued in her hurt, accusing tone. "He was my entire world, and now..." she stopped, the tears flowing faster as she continued to stand there, the same expression on her face._

_"Penny, he's not dead. He's just..." But even as Richard spoke, the monitor watching Bolt's vital signs squealed as everything, absolutely everything, flatlined. His heart failed, his breathing stopped, and all brain activity ceased. "No...No!" He rushed to the controls of the chamber, desperately shutting everything down, the machine almost instantly fading away, whining down to silence. "No, no, no! Bolt...NO!"_

_"You killed him, dad." Penny said, with no change in tone. "He was everything to me, and you killed him!"_

_Richard ripped the chamber open as the machine finally died, pulling Bolt from it and trying desperately to revive him. "Come on, Bolt! Don't do this! Not now!" But it was hopeless...he was too far gone. Richard could literally feel penny's presence right behind him, and turned, to see that she had changed. Her expression was angry and accusing, as was her voice when she spoke._

_"How could you...?"_

* * * * *

Richard awoke with a violent start, gasping, breathing hard. He sat there, on the verge of a complete breakdown, while his battered mind came to terms with the relieving reality that it had all just been a nightmare. When he was finally able to grasp the truth, he put his head in his hands, sighing with relief, although he still shook. It had felt so real, so convincing...it was like Bolt had actually died.

But then, maybe it felt real because the guilt the nightmare had induced _was _real. Every single day, every single time he got in his car and drove to work, he was betraying Penny. He was betraying both her and Bolt, and it made him sick to his stomach. He did not know how much more of it he could take, and yet he knew that, for both he and Penny to survive, that he had to keep this betrayal up. It just wasn't fair...it wasn't fair at all. But there was nothing that could be done...at least not until he confirmed the results of yesterday's efforts.

Richard looked over and checked his bedside clock. 1:00am. _Perfect timing,_ he thought grumpily as he heaved himself out of bed, and got ready for work. As he did, his mind kept drifting back to the nightmare. In part, it had actually occurred yesterday. He had indeed placed Bolt into a machine, and done...well, Richard had honestly no clue what, to him. That was the purpose of today...to inspect the results. All he knew was that, once the experiment had been completed, he had added a stage to it that reversed all of its effects, hiding them away inside Bolt, where a simple command from the machine would unlock them. He just hoped it would not come to that. If it did, Richard would be forced to irreversibly change Penny's life...forever. As he continued to prepare for work, Richard had another of his frequent moments of doubt. How could he? How could he even consider putting Penny through something like this? Her life would be in constant danger...she would forever be hunted, forever forced to run and hide...or else fight, and most likely die, for a cause that really wasn't hers.

But Richard painfully forced these thoughts aside. There was no other way. It was either her life in danger...or the entire world, including Penny, destroyed. He knew which outcome was more preferable, even if he didn't like it. His mind desperately threw up argument, trying to put himself in harm's way instead of Penny, but it would not work. Bolt was critical to all this, and Bolt would never leave Penny...for anything. And this plan would almost certainly put him in harm's way well before he would have a chance to take Penny's place. No, Richard was certain; Penny and Bolt were the only ones who could change this, who could make things right.

_But she's just thirteen!_ Richard's mind screamed in protest. His inner will was torn in two. Torn between his fatherly desire to protect Penny at all costs, and his realist sense that there simply was no other way...the world was going to be placed in the hands of a thirteen-year-old girl...and her five-year-old White Shepherd.

Finally ready for work, Richard stopped outside Penny's room, which was still securely locked. He could hear heavy breathing on the other side, along with the occasional growl as Bolt dreamed. He sighed, placing his hand on the door. "I'm sorry, Penny...for everything. But I'm working to make it right. I just...I just wanted you to be happy, but instead...I've taken everything from you. I..." he sighed, finding it too hard, even though Penny was sleeping. "I love you Penny. I always have...and I always will." Richard stood by the door for a few more moments, before leaving for work, his head low.

As he drove off, his mind became more determined, his features set. He may have committed the ultimate wrong by joining in Calico's devious organisation, and done terrible things under his gaze...but no more. If the results of the experiment on Bolt gave him what he needed, he would make it right...in what was most likely going to be his last act.

He was going to put his plan in motion...he was going to take the first steps towards stopping Calico, and then - and Richard hated himself for this - he was going to pass the baton onto Penny...and Bolt.


	7. Chapter 6: Plans

**Chapter 6**

**Plans**

"Hey, Richard!"

The call reached Richard's ears as he entered his office area, up on the fifteenth floor of Calico's Highton facility. The facility doubled as both an office block, and underground, as a research lab. And it was at this facility that Richard worked, along with his friend and workmate, Larry, who had just spoken.

"Hey, Larry," Richard replied unemotionally.

Larry's dark-skinned, large face frowned. "What's up, Richard? You look awful!"

Richard sat down at his desk, switching on his his computer. "I feel awful, Larry."

Larry waited, obviously expecting Richard to explain further. "Well?" he pressed in response to Richard's silence. "What's wrong? Are you sure you should be at work?"

"Yeah, Larry. I need to be here. And it's not an illness...I'm fine in that sense. It's just..." he sighed. Even here, with his est friend, it was difficult to explain his situation, and his feelings. "I feel like I'm betraying Penny, you know, with what we're doing here! She loves Bolt...hell, I think she loves the dog more than she loves me! And here I am, doing God-only-knows what to the mutt! Bolt's all Penny has, with me working here every day of the freakin' week, and I..." He forced himself to stop, realising he was just working himself up more.

"She found out what you did yesterday, didn't she?" Larry asked, although his tone implied it was rhetorical. "She was always a keen investigator, that one. And I - "

"No, no, Larry," Richard cut in, "no, Penny doesn't know. But that just makes it worse. She knows I did something, just not what exactly, and she...well, she's furious at me."

"Why?"

"She thinks I hurt Bolt." Richard's computer finally loaded up, and he set to work retrieving the data from yesterday's experiments. "And I...I don't know, maybe I have! But it's killing me! I can't keep this up, Larry! I can't betray my daughter, and the only friend she has, just on the crazy whims of my boss!"

"Richard, take it easy!" Larry hissed, looking around nervously, as if he thought someone were listening. After a moment, he moved closer to Richard, talking in a low whisper. "Look, buddy, I don't like it nearly as much as you do, but we have no choice! Marcus will have our heads...and our jobs, if we don't do as Calico asks! What are we going to do?"

Richard sighed. _Now or never._ He either let Larry in on his plans now, or left him alone, and went to work. If he let Larry in on his little plan to stop Calico, he could help...but how? The most likely outcome would be that Larry was simply turned into another of Calico's victims. And if Richard left him out...he had a chance to continue with his normal life, to live in blissful ignorance, forever unaware of the desperate struggle occurring right under his nose. But that ignorance also left him in danger of being a victim, for Richard knew that Calico would go through anyone to get what he wanted. The man was evil.

Over the past five years, Richard had been working on a top-secret project, one that only he, Calico, and Marcus, Calico's right-hand-man, and head of operations here in Highton, knew to the full. Several other workers and officials, Larry included, knew some of the details, but not enough for the full picture. The project involved re-writing the genes of various creatures to bring out amazing effects...to put it most simply, Richard was working on genetic alteration of animals...specifically Bolt. The specifics of the project involved altering Bolt's genetic make-up to improve various physical, mental and psychological effects...essentially giving him 'super-powers'. Richard had thought the idea was ridiculous when Marcus had given him the task, but Calico Technology was not named so for nothing...they controlled some of the most advanced technology in the world, though the public was not aware that any of it existed. The ultimate goal of the project was to give humans - specifically Calico - these powers. But the person previously in charge of the project had failed tremendously, a botched experiment almost killing Calico, leaving him with a tell-tale after-effect...his left eye had mutated. The iris had become a sickly shade of green, and had expanded to encompass the entirety of the eyeball, or at last that which was visible. On top of this, the pupil was vertical and narrow, much like a cat's or snake's. This set-back had not robbed Calico of his desire, although it had robbed the former project lead of his life. Richard had been selected as a replacement, and Calico had decided that it would be best to test the experiment on animals first, before moving on to humans. As part of this, Richard had been asked to supply a dog for the experiment. From there, he had decided to get Penny a dog, which had been her ultimate desire for the past few years. Two birds...one stone...too easy.

Or so Richard had thought. He spent five years building and perfecting a machine that would genetically alter the contents, using some of Calico's most cutting-edge technology, and several smaller test subjects, although results were erratic at best, as the small creatures struggled to survive the huge amounts of radiation and energy they had to endure during the alteration process. Eventually Richard was forced to bring Bolt in, and test the alteration sequence once and for all.

And that was last night. Richard breathed deeply, calming himself down as the results of the alteration finally loaded. "You're right, Larry," he finally said. "There's nothing we can do. We just have to hope Bolt is unharmed by the effects." He decided it was best to keep his friend out of the loop. At least then he had a _chance_, a small hope, of continuing his life normally. Richard blinked, wiped his mind clean, and started pouring over the results.

_**Calico Technology**_

_**Highton Facility**_

_**Experiment No: AUC-165**_

_**Project: BOLT**_

_**Results for Genetic Sequence Number: D-01**_

_**Experiment Procedures: ERROR - LEVEL R-83 ENCRYPTION KEY REQUIRED**_

_Basic Functions_

_Subject's basic functions were erratic and unstable during alteration sequence, but wireless monitoring has seen them balance back to normal levels, although are still mildly erratic. Subject's heartbeat and blood pressure are slightly elevated, to account for the increased demands the body will face. Subject's basic vital function should balance further over the next 2-10 days._

_Enhancements_

_Brain & Nervous System: Subject has developed a large increase in neural activity. Neural speed and efficiency has increased by over 150%, with an extensive expansion in the number of neural pathways through the brain. Expected After-Effects - Dramatically increased intelligence, logic and reasoning skills, almost certainly level with, or superior to, that of the average human._

_Skeletal Structure: Subject's skeletal structure has seen an impressive strengthening. Skeletal strength and impact resistance increased by approximately 100%, with no increase in bone mass. Expected After-Effects - Drastically increased strength, and resistance to various impacts._

_Muscular Structure: Subject's muscular structure has seen an efficiency increase of over 200%, with little increase in volume or mass. Expected After-Effects: In conjunction with skeletal improvements, subject's strength and resistance to harm will have been increased significantly, although exact figures are difficult to calculate._

_Vocal Structure: Subject's vocal structure has seen a controlled alteration. Subject may continue to vocalise normally, but can, at will, create a cascading vocal effect that allows it to enhance its vocal range if necessary. Expected After-Effects - Up to 300% increase in vocal range and strength._

_Eye Structure: Subject's optic nerves have been enhanced, in line with the neural improvements. Subject's retina has been altered to allow it to act as a super-concentrated mirror. Expected After-Effects: Increased vision in sharpness, clarity, and focus, with the subject no longer colourblind. Retina mirrors have the ability to focus light into a super intense beam of light, strength expected to be identical to that of a cutting laser._

_Psychological Alteration: ERROR - LEVEL R-65 ENCRYPTION KEY REQUIRED_

_Ill-Effects_

_No serious ill effects have been detected at present, but genetic alteration of any sort has the possibility of disastrous, and unpredictable, side-effects._

_Current ill-effects include:_

_RE-ADJUSTMENT LAG - Subject is still growing accustomed to effects of alteration. This is expected to be overcome with 3-6 hours. Risks - Failure to re-adjust could result in genetic rejection and death._

_EFFECT GROWTH - Subject's enhancements are continuing to manifest and grow a large time after the procedure. This is expected to lapse within 24 hours, but theoretically could go on indefinitely. Risks - Uncontrolled growth could lead to excessive enhancements, which the body would not be able to cope with. Death would most likely result._

_Conclusion_

_Experiment AUC-165 is a success! Subject has been successfully altered to satisfactory levels with minimal ill effects._

_Recommended Progression_

_Several more canine-level tests should be conducted, to ensure sequence's stability. If stability is assured, then progression may move to human-level alteration._

Richard looked at the results page in astonished disbelief. It worked! And it worked beautifully! Bolt had successfully been altered with super-powers! He had done it!

But it was a bitter-sweet moment. This was all another step in Calico's master plan, once Richard had slowly uncovered over the last few years. Most of it was just theory and guesswork and Richard's part, but he had done his homework, and was certain that he knew what his boss was up to.

Calico, it seemed, had been obsessed with the idea of super-powers since he was a kid. Even as he aged, it was his life's ambition to make that dream a reality. When he became immensely successful, and wealthy, with Calico Technology, he was at last able to put that dream to work. When Richard had signed on to work for the company, he had no idea what he was getting himself into. But over the years, he had slowly worked out Calico's plan, through careful quiet observation, and a lot of calculated guesswork. It seemed that Calico was determined to change the world, to pull it from its age of chaos, greed and corruption. The only problem was that Calico was immensely self-obsessed, and his plan of saving the world involved the killing of millions, all in the end for his own personal gain. By giving himself, and a select army of followers, the super-powers Richard was currently experimenting with, he would send his army across the world, destroying the current world order, and send it back to a dark age of chaos, from which, Calico seemed to believe, would rise a new, fresh, clean world...one ruled by him. At first, Richard's detective-work had left him stunned. He refused to believe it...it was just too far-fetched. But, particularly over the last few months, as his project started bearing fruit, Calico's plan seemed more and more real.

And now it was time for Richard to put his own plan in action; a counter-plan that, if it worked, should stop Calico's deranged fantasy in its tracks. He poured over the results of Bolt's alteration once more, muttering in stunned disbelief as he did. The results were beyond anything he could have predicted. But there was still one last thing to check. Richard looked around, as casually as he could manage under the circumstances, before heading back to the crucial mishap near the bottom of the report:

_Psychological Alteration: ERROR - LEVEL R-65 ENCRYPTION KEY REQUIRED_

The error was a deliberate move on Richard's part, as was the other one at the top of the report. He had encrypted key components of the report with encryption algorithms of his own design, designs that only he knew. The first one, near the top of the report, was to hide the process he had used to alter Bolt from Calico. If Calico got his hands on that procedure, Richard's plan was toast before he had even put it in action. The other error, the one he was currently focused on, was more a temporary thing, just a little extra alteration he had added. He looked around one more time, making sure no-one was watching him, or even anywhere near him, before typing in the encryption key the report was requesting. The computer screen flashed, and that small section of the report changed dramatically.

_Psychological Alteration: ERROR - LEVEL R-65 ENCRYPTION KEY REQUIRED_

_R-65 ENCRYPTION KEY ENTERED_

_Subject's psyche has been enhanced with a mental barrier that denies the subject access to any powers. Barrier can be weakened remotely, allowing subject to access alterations at will. Barrier weakening cannot be reversed. NOTE: Due to the unpredictable nature of alterations, subject may experience mild, latent powers, even through the barrier._

Richard sighed. So the custom alteration he had set up had worked properly. He had put that in place so that Bolt could continue to be a normal dog, even after the alteration procedure, so that he and Penny could get on with their lives normally. But in the end, the alteration had been useless.

The time had come, at last, to put his plan in action. It would Penny in danger, but she would be in less danger than she would be if Richard allowed Calico's plans to go unchecked. Besides, with Bolt beside her, she was better protected than almost anyone.

Sighing once again, hating himself for letting this get to this stage, Richard transferred a whole heap of files from his computer to his mobile phone, before deleting them all from his computer. He then mumbled something even he himself didn't hear properly to Larry, before gathering his thing and leaving the office, heading for the nearest lift.

It was time to put his plan into full swing...it was time to tell Penny the truth.


	8. Chapter 7: Last Words

**Chapter 7**

**Last Words**

Penny looked down at Bolt, her expression a mixture of sadness and weariness. "Hey, you're sure you're okay, boy?" she asked softly, her voice slightly hoarse from all of last night's yelling.

Bolt looked up at her, his face slightly more energetic - as a Shepherd, he was rarely tired - but no less sad. His mood was usually a direct mirror of Penny's. If she was sad, so was he, and vice versa. He panted briefly, tilting his head slightly, seemingly trying to prove that he was fine.

Penny managed to force a smile back at her companion, before leaning forward on the bench she sat on, in the middle of her favourite place, Silverlake Park, and buried her head in her hands. Yesterday had been...eventful, to say the least, and she had not slept well last night at all. And now, in the wake of her nasty fight with her father, she was still fuming, although her spent emotions would no longer allow for blind fury, rather just a dim depression.

_Dad has gone too far this time,_ her mind kept repeating, over and over again. And she believed it, too. She was certain that Richard had done something awful to Bolt, and that he would not tell her, either because of guilt, or because his work would not let him...although Penny firmly believed it was both. _But it doesn't matter! Guilt or no guilt...allowed or not, Bolt is my dog, it's my right to know what happened to him! _But she knew it would never happen. Richard was far too stubborn when it came to his work's secrecy, and an all-morning search on the Internet for any word on what was going on at Calico Technology had dug up absolutely nothing. Penny knew that she would keep searching...keep prodding her father, until she found some answers, but at the same time knew that the odds of her getting anything more than Bolt's strange behaviour yesterday was zero.

"At the very least," Penny whispered as she stroked Bolt's back, "you're back to normal today." And it was true. When Penny had woken up this morning, Bolt was still fast asleep, obviously a little worn from the big day he had. But when he had woken up, he was his usual, old self. Whatever Richard had done to him didn't seem to be having any lasting effects. This relieved Penny to no end, but it did not ease her anger with her father one bit. This time, she was not going to forgive him lightly...not without an explanation. Penny stopped her stroking of Bolt's back as her hand passed over his mark. _Well, not quite back to normal._ Penny had hoped that the mark might fade away overnight, at least slightly...but there was no such luck. It was still there, as black and solid as ever, stubbornly refusing to come out. Penny was initially self-conscious when she took Bolt on a walk here to the park just minutes ago, wondering how everyone in town would react to it. But she was spared the tide of questions she expected. Everyone, it seemed, was so used to her presence with Bolt, that no one looked close enough to spot the mark, even after yesterday's episode. Everyone, it seemed, was just glad she had found him in the end.

But even so, the mark continued to disturb Penny. She was beginning to doubt dad's explanation that it was a harmless prank of Larry's. Every time she looked at the mark, she became more and more convinced that it was part of the fur, like a birth mark...only it had not been there beforehand. Once again, Penny's mind could only see one solution...the 'experiment' Richard had performed on Bolt. The more she thought about it, the more certain she was. _Another lie,_ she thought furiously. _Why can't I just get the truth...for once! Everyone says I act so mature, so why won't anyone give me the truth?!_ She checked her watch as she continued to silently fume, noting that it was a little past midday. Still three hours until Richard got back home...at which point she would continue her furious questioning. She was not going to let this one go...she would not betray the ultimate trust Bolt placed in her.

Her thoughts were jarred to a halt when Bolt gave a low growl, trying to get her attention. She looked down at her companion, then followed his gaze, trying to figure what Bolt was getting so worked up over. When she saw the reason for Bolt's alertness, she sighed. "Of course."

Brady was standing there, about sixty yards down the path from where she was sitting on the park bench, looking at her. When he noticed she was looking at him, he made to wave, but something in her face must have scared him slightly, because he stopped waving immediately and walked briskly away, glancing back occasionally.

"Good," Penny whispered after him. "You're learning." She then gave Bolt a thankful scratch behind the ears. "Good boy."

But as she watched Bolt, she froze, amazed. The mark on Bolt's side seemed glow a bright, pale green for a brief moment, before fading away as quickly as it had come. Penny blinked, looking around to make sure no-one else had noticed the spectacle, before rubbing her eyes and turning her attention back to the mark. But it had faded back to its usual, shiny black, giving absolutely no indication that anything had happened.

Bolt however, had definitely felt something. He blinked, his eyes going wide as he stared off into space, obviously as stunned as Penny. He sat there, frozen, for a few seconds, before leaping off the bench and shaking himself off vigorously, as though he was trying to rid himself of some nasty presence. Penny grew worried as she leapt off the bench herself, kneeling beside Bolt as he continued to battle with some inner discomfort. Once shaking himself off seemed to fail, he sat down and proceeded to scratch at every part of his body he could reach. Whatever the mark had done when it had glowed, it was causing Bolt a lot of discomfort, and by the look on the Shepherd's face, it was leaving him terrified, too. It was as if his own body was playing nasty tricks on him, and Bolt did not know how to stop them.

As Penny knelt there, helpless to do anything but stay at Bolt's side and wait for it to end, her anger welled up once more. "Dad!" she roared. "What have you done!" Now, there was no question in her mind. Richard was up to something, and if it was leaving Bolt this uncomfortable, and this frightened of his own body, she was going to find out what he had done...any way she could.

After what seemed like hours to Penny, Bolt finally seemed to get over his discomfort, finally sitting still, although he continued to shake terribly, whimpering up at Penny, his face awash with terror. Penny pulled herself, and Bolt, back up onto the bench, cuddling Bolt close as he continued to shake, lying on her lap. "It's okay, Bolt," she whispered softly. "I'm here. You're okay, I got you." Bolt seemed to take some comfort from Penny, as his shaking eased slightly, although it did not fade entirely. "Don't worry, boy. I'll find out what dad did to you, I promise. I won't let him get away with this."

But her thoughts were once again thrown off course as the mobile phone in her pocket beeped and buzzed...someone had sent her a message. Perplexed, Penny reached for the phone. She only ever used this phone to talk to her dad when he was at work, and even then, they'd never used it. It was mostly for emergencies. Penny had never been close enough to any of her schoolmates to ever forge a friendship with them outside of school. She just could not relate to any of them like she could Bolt. No-one seemed to properly understand her. She finally got her phone, flipping it open and inspecting the message, only it was not a message. It was a whole series of sizable files, all of them from her dad. "What?" Penny was perplexed. Why would he send her something now...and so soon after yesterday? She flipped the phone closed once more, ignoring the message. It could wait until after she had dealt with him.

But then her phone flared to life again, this time wailing at an incoming call. "Now what?" Penny demanded, flipping open the phone and pressing it to her ear. "Hello?"

A heavy panting came from the other side. _"Penny!"_ It was Richard. _"Listen, Penny, I don't have much time!"_

But Penny ignored him, her anger welling up once more. "Dad, what have you done to Bolt? Now - "

_"Penny, not now!" _Richard cried, his voice desperate. _"Please, Penny, just listen! I need to tell you something...it's very important!"_

Richard's sudden interruption startled Penny. He definitely was desperate. "Dad? Is...is everything okay?"

_"No, it's not! But I don't have time to explain! It's time, Penny. It's time I told you the truth...everything."_

"What's going on?" Penny was slightly scared now. Richard's heavy panting continued to come through the connection, and Penny was sure she could hear footsteps. Her father was running from something...or someone.

_"Please, Penny, please just listen! Something's come up at work. Honey, I don't...I don't think I'm going to be coming home for a while."_

"What?" Now things were happening a little to fast for Penny to comprehend. But before she could begin to try and make sense of it all, Richard continued.

_"I'm so sorry about yesterday, Penny. I've told you for so long that I can't talk about work...but now I can. I..." he seemed to hate what he was about to say next. "I lied to you, Penny. I...did things...to Bolt. I altered him."_

"Dad, what are you - "

_"Don't talk, Penny!" _Richard cried, seeming to progress from desperation to all-out panic. _"Just listen! I've spent the last five years working on a project that involves Bolt, at my boss' request. But I've learned things...I've learned the things my boss intends to do, and I know that I'm the only one that can stop him. I've started putting things together, I've hidden everything to do with my experiments on Bolt from him, and now he's coming after me. Penny, my boss is an evil man, and now you're the only one who can stop him from getting what he wants!"_

"What? Me? I - "

_"My boss will come after you, Penny! Do you understand? The house...it's not safe any more. If you're there, get out now! Just run, find somewhere safe! You have to avoid Calico's men at all costs! The file I just sent to your phone should help you, just stay hidden!"_

"Dad, I..." Penny was completely baffled. Her dad was not making any sense, it was all happening too fast. "I don't understand." Bolt looked up at her, knowing that something was amiss.

_"It's alright, Penny. I know you don't understand everything right now, but you won't be alone. You have Bolt. As I said before, I've altered him. He can protect you now, but please, Penny - " _a muffled noise came through the phone, and Richard gasped. _"Damn it, they found me! Penny, I'm out of time, just look at the things I sent you, they'll explain everything! Just stay hidden! I'm so sorry this had to happen to you, Penny, I really am!"_

Only now did Penny realise that her father was in danger. "Dad?! Dad, wait!"

_"I love you, Penny...goodbye!"_ And with that, the line went dead.


	9. Chapter 8: The Truth

**Chapter 8**

**The Truth**

Penny sat there, staring at her phone in frozen shock, her mind still trying to catch up with the conversation. "What...?" her mind just could not process what she had heard.

She went back through her phone's memory logs, finding an automatic recording of the conversation, playing it once more, pausing it every now and again when she needed to stop and think. Been even after the replay, she was still struggling to come to terms with the meaning of it all. _Bolt's been altered? Calico's planning something, and dad wants me to stop it - _Her thoughts ground to a halt. "Dad."

In that moment, it all hit her. Richard's voice seemed to echo in her mind. _I don't think I'm going to be coming home for a while..._ Whatever Calico was doing, and whatever her father was doing to stop it, her father had just become Calico's prisoner, or worse, his victim. That was the reason for the footsteps, she realised. Her father had been running from Calico's men when he had called...and now they had him. "Oh, God. Dad..." Penny slumped in the bench, the realisation of everything hitting her like a physical blow. Dad would not be coming home...ever again. "What is going on?" she whispered, burying her head in her arms. "Why is this happening?!" It just didn't seem fair. All the anger she had felt towards her father disappeared as he struggled to figure out how she was going to cope without him. She knew that she relied on him to keep her going, to essentially stay alive. Without him...she had no-one to rely on...nowhere to go.

Distantly, she heard Bolt's whine and looked up at her friend, seeing the worried look on his face. The sight of the cute, puppy-ish face sent over the edge, collapsing into soft sobs as she hugged him tightly. "What will we do, Bolt?" she asked softly between sobs. "Where will we go?"

After a few moments, Bolt pushed her off, nudging her softly on the leg, where her phone was hidden. He seemed to be trying to say something. Penny looked at him, as he nudged her leg again, before it dawned on her. "The message!" She immediately grabbed for her open, flipping it open and quickly location the massive set of files her father had sent just before the call. He had said that the things he had sent would help...but how? She opened the message, which displayed a whole list of several files, each with strange titles. But it was the top one, labelled simply "READ FIRST!" that grabbed Penny's attention. Exactly what secrets would this single message hold? As Penny's finger hovered over the 'Open File' button, she hesitated. Did she really want to know the truth? Did she really want to immerse herself in the same mess that had turned her father into Calico's captive? Penny was certain, at this stage, that her father was still alive. If Calico had some sort of plan, and Richard was attempting to defy and stop it, then he had information that Calico needed...Calico needed her father alive, it was as simple as that. Penny was also certain that she had no idea what was going on...and not only was she determined to find out, but she knew that the truth, no matter how horrible, would assist her in her next move. With that thought, she opened the file.

It was a simple text message, but as Penny read it, her eyes watered with fresh tears.

_Penny,_

_If you are reading this, then my worst fear has been realised, and you are in grave danger. Before I say anything more, know that I'm sorry, Penny, for everything, and that I have done my best to make amends._

_By the time you read this message, I will most likely be a captive of my boss, Calico, and he will most likely be attempting to get information from me. This information I have passed on to you, in these files. It is time you learned the truth about my work._

_For the past five years...since you got Bolt from Joe's store, I have been working on an extremely secretive experiment for Calico. I have been using the company's technology to attempt to genetically alter animals, to give them what can only be described as 'super-powers'. Massive strength, intelligence, that sort of thing. Bolt was requested as a test subject, and I, in my stupid blindness, accepted. But I have worked out Calico's plan: To use these experiments to empower himself, and use his power to control the world. I know it sounds crazy, Penny, but trust me, Calico is insane!_

_I have, at last, decided that something has to be done...Calico must be stopped. I have given you all information I think is vital to your own survival, and destroyed everything else. As I mentioned before, Calico by now will have me as a hostage, but as long as he doesn't find you, I'll be fine. And I have made sure that he will not find you. I have altered Bolt with these 'powers', he can protect you from anything Calico throws at you, along with himself. I have also enclosed several files about the kinds of things Calico uses, and may send after you, so you can avoid them._

_Before you do anything, know this: If you are at the house, GET OUT! If not, do not go back! Calico's men will already be on their way to find you, and I do not want to see you suffer the same fate as me! Just get out of the house and run, find a safe place to finish going over my things. Once you have safely gotten away, you must find Joe...I have placed several things in his care that will be vital to you. Find him...and make sure you're not followed. Joe has everything you need to survive. You will have to go into hiding, and I doubt you will ever see me again, but if there's one thing I know about you, Penny, it's that you have a strength beyond anyone I know. If anyone can do this, you can._

_But do not, EVER, come after me! You must not put yourself in danger! You're the only thing that stands between Calico and his plan now, you and Bolt. Just go into hiding, use Bolt's protection if you need, and just disappear. If I can, I'll come looking for you, but I don't think that is going to happen. Just go to Joe, and shoe him the voice I enclosed in this, he'll know what to do._

_I love you, Penny, and I'll miss you._

_All my love,_

_Dad._

Penny hung her head when she had finished the message. Now it all made sense, in a strange, crazy way. Calico had a plan for taking over the world. It was the craziest thing Penny had heard, but, in a really strange way, it made sense. It explained the secretiveness of Calico's company, and of Calico himself, and the reason he had built a massive technology company, but refused to release any of it to the public...he was saving it for his own needs. Despite her disbelief, Penny decided it was true. Richard would never pull a prank like this on her, no matter how funny he thought it might be, and definitely not so soon after their spat over Bolt.

And Bolt's 'alterations'? Again, it sounded crazy, and again, it was simply the only reasonable explanation. It explained the mark, which just would not fade, and it explained his strange behaviour these past few days. But what exactly had been done to him? Penny decided it was time to find out. Pulling Bolt close beside her, she rifled through the files she had been sent, until she found one with Bolt's name on it. She opened it, and there was, as the headnote from her father explained, a summarised version of the results his experiment on Bolt had brought out. Super-Strength, Super-Speed, Heat-Vision...Bolt had most certainly been super-charged...but how did Bolt use these powers? The file gave no clue as to how Bolt used them, nor how Penny could command him to do so. She was just going to have to wait until Bolt figured it out for himself, she realised. until then, she needed to worked out what to do next. She skimmed over the remaining files, which had lists of the kind of people and technology Calico might throw at her and Bolt, and how best to avoid them. Once she was done, she moved the files to a more permanent location on her phone's memory, and stowed her phone back in her jeans pocket once more.

_But what now?_ she silently asked herself. Dad had said to find Joe, that he would help, but she still had a lot of questions that had not been answered. And she was still a little unsure of what exactly was going on. It felt like some sort of bad dream, just some nightmare that would vanish if she closed her eyes and waited. But she knew it was no nightmare...the feelings, the whole sense of the world collapsing around, was too real for it to be just some dream. This was really happening, but her mind still had its doubts. She just wanted to go home, and wait for -

_Home!_ But the thought crashed almost as soon as it was conceived. Her father had warned her not to return home, that it was simply too dangerous, that Calico's men were probably already there. Penny frowned, not sure what to do, as Bolt whimpered by her side, trying to make sense of his person's violent mood swings. _Stuff it,_ she finally decided, standing. She needed to see for herself to fully believe it. She was going to head home. If there were people there, then she would head to Joe's store. If not...well, she wasn't exactly sure what she would do. But doing something, anything at all, was better than sitting here wallowing in her confusion and despair.

With a proud call to Bolt, who immediately jumped to her side, looking a little happier now that he had something to do, the two of them set off, Penny heading out of the park and down the street, back towards home...and whatever danger, or lack thereof, awaited her there.


	10. Chapter 9: Point of No Return

**Chapter 9**

**Point of No Return**

Penny stared at her house, frowning. _Something's not right,_ she thought, staring at the scene.

Richard had warned her that Calico's men would be at the house, and that it would not be safe anymore. What that meant, Penny didn't know; she had expected the house to be swarming with cars and men, all looking for her, like police did at a crime scene. They'd be searching in and around the house, pulling things out that may assist them in their search. But that was not the case. Her house, and the entire street, showed no signs of anything unusual. No cars, no strange men...nothing. Just her house, the empty lots that surrounded it, and the sole other house in the street, it's two cars sitting end-to-end in the driveway.

Penny's frown deepened as the events that had transpired in the past twenty-four hours started to make less sense. She checked her phone one more time, just to be sure that she was not hallucinating. But sure enough, all the files, all of dad's final messages, were still there. She slipped the phone back into her pocket as she returned her gaze back to the house. What was going on? The day's events were contradicting each other, and it was leaving Penny terribly confused. For a moment she remembered Richard's explanation for Bolt's mark, that it had just been a prank by Larry, and for a moment, considered the possibility that this was also the case, that Larry was pulling another, extremely cruel prank on her. She discarded the idea instantly. That was crazier than the prospect of Calico trying to take over the world. Larry would not stoop this low, and besides, he could not replicate Richard's voice that well, and that conversation was definitely not a voice recording. No, there was no prank, and no joke, this was real. But it still left Penny with the confusing paradox...why was no one at the house, like Richard had expected?

Penny eventually came to the conclusion that, if Calico's men were indeed after her, that they had not arrived yet. But even as she thought this, and toyed with the idea of heading inside to grab some things for the adventure that would no doubt follow today, she started getting troubled by a constant nagging sense of premonition, like something terrible was coming, and that she was right in its way. She forced the feeling aside, and when it came back, just ignored it. Her emotions had been put under too much strain today...she could not trust them now, at least not for a while.

She finally turned to Bolt. "What do you think, boy...should we go in?"

Bolt turned to look at her, although Penny's spent emotions clouded her judgement, making it difficult for her to read Bolt's expression. She gathered a lingering sadness and worry for his person, and something else...something she could not quite place. She pressed her palms into her cheeks, trying to snap herself out of her emotional nightmare, but got nowhere. Finally she sighed. "How about we just take a quick look, eh? Grab some of our things...then we'll go see Joe, alright?"

Bolt tilted his head slightly to one side, as if thinking, before smiling slightly, seeming to agree with Penny. Penny, however, did not smile back. Memory's of her dad's phone conversation, and the fact that he was now Calico's captive, remove any ability for Penny to feel proper happiness. It had been a terrible day, and she knew it was not going to get any better.

After several moments, Penny gathered her composure and headed for the front yard, Bolt right behind her. Both of them looked around themselves as they went, keeping a constant eye out for any sign of trouble. But as they approached the front porch, nothing happened. The street was as quiet as it always was. _Maybe I'm just going nuts, and this whole day is just one big mental episode._ Penny's questions continued as she reached the front door, her hand hesitating over the knob. The nagging feeling was back with a vengeance, assaulting all her senses, seemingly intent on forcing her into a panic. She ignored the feeling and looked to Bolt for guidance. The Shepherd stared at her for a few moments, before nudging the door. Penny nodded, taking a deep breath, before opening the door and stepping inside.

What she had expected to see, Penny did not know. But she was a little startled to find the house was exactly as she had left it a couple of hours ago when she had left. It didn't seem right, it felt like the tumultuous events of the day should have shaken the house up as well, leaving everything a mess. It only cemented the idea in Penny's mind that this place was a haven, a realm of safety and protection from the evils of the world. She was certain that nothing could touch her here, and with that she relaxed slightly.

She was slightly startled when Bolt took off ahead of her, racing towards her room, where all of his things were also contained, but she passed it off. He had been through a lot this morning, as well, it was only natural for him to want to find a familiar place and stay there for a little while, even if it meant removing himself from Penny's side for a short time.

Penny dawdled slightly, trying to put her confused thoughts and emotions back together. Something just did not add up. She felt like she was in terrible danger, and yet the house seemed to be the absolute symbol of safety and protection. Penny knew she was overlooking something, that there had been something out of place today...but what? But her fear did not seem to be focusing on the house, and as such, she kept wandering.

Penny stopped as she passed Richard's room, which also served as his study. Penny had never been through her father's desk, knowing that she would be in a heap of trouble of dad caught her. But now...now she just needed some more answers. She stood indecisively in front of the door, weighing her options. _Stuff it,_ she finally decided, and opened the door, heading straight for the desk against the far wall, beside the bed.

And it was here that Penny realised something was definitely amiss.

The desk was a mess. Drawers were open, and paper, pens and other items were strewn all over the desk, and across a large portion of the room. The place was a mess. Penny's first thought as she looked upon the mess was that her father had made a mess of things gathering his notes and other items for work. But when she saw the computer, she froze. The computer was on, and the screensaver running, which meant that someone had been on that computer within the last fifteen minutes! And then Penny saw the horrible truth, and realised what she had missed earlier.

The other person living on the street was single, and only had one car! And the other car, a bulky black sedan, was exactly like the one Richard's message told her to watch out for!

Penny had walked right into Calico's trap!

As soon as thought crossed her mind, she spun around, planning to run from the house there and then, but stopped when she saw a man standing in the doorway, wearing a high-tech, black suit that strangely reminded Penny of some sort of ornate, full-body wet-suit. Penny instantly remembered the message on her phone. Like the car, one of files had outlined a black full-body suit that many of Calico's men wore, although this man was without the large, bug-like helmet the photo in the file had. This man also held a bulky pistol, which held at the hip, and was aiming straight at Penny's nose.

"So," the man said thoughtfully, grinning. "Your the professor's daughter, huh?" The man's face was the only thing Penny could see from under the suit, but that didn't stop from seeing that the man was a serious threat. He had huge, built almost entirely of muscle and was well over six feet tall. The man probably didn't even need the gun, he could probably kill Penny with two fingers. His heavy-set face was grinning with a triumphant malice, his icy eyes cold and uncompromising. He was a man you definitely did not want to cross.

"What's it to you?" Penny replied defiantly, although her anger was aimed back at herself. She was inwardly cursing herself for being so stupid. _Of course they would set a trap! They wouldn't just park outside and start a massive search of the house!_

"Oh, it means everything to me, little girl. You see, your father has done some bad things, and my boss wants to help correct that, but to do that, we need your help." The man was obviously trying a kind approach, trying to use Penny's recent fight with her father to manipulate her. "Now, if you would just - "

"Exactly what things is my dad supposed to have done?" Penny said, more loudly than was necessary under the circumstances. She was trying to alert someone, anyone, to her predicament.

"Work things. I'm sure you understand that we can't tell you right now. Now please, come with me, quietly. I'd hate it if we had a little...accident." The man waved his gun, making sure Penny was fully aware of its presence.

And she was. The weapon was ruining her ability to think straight. but she desperately tried to remain calm as she fought to stall for more time. "What's in this for me?"

The man laughed. "Teenagers! Always thinking of their own interests, even when there a gun pointing at them!" He continued to laugh, and Penny decided to seize the opportunity. She sprang into action, adrenaline pumping through her body as she bolted for a doorway that lead to the bathroom. The man regained his composure and pulled his gun up, firing wildly at Penny as she leapt through the doorway. But he was caught off guard, and the shot went high, slamming into the wall as Penny crashed onto her face against the cold bathroom tiles, knowing she had not made her situation any better. The bathroom was a dead end, it had no other exit. She had just pushed herself into a corner. She cursed her own stupidity once more as the man laughed triumphantly.

"Clever girl! Distracting me like that! But I've already been through this entire house, and I know you're trapped, now come out! I won't hurt you, but I will have to if you insist on hiding like this now come out!" As he finished, the gun went off again. Penny felt the wall she was leaning against shake as the bullet buried itself in the plaster somewhere behind and above her. Terror and panic settled into her stomach as only one word came to her mind, screaming from her lips an instant later.

"BOLT!"


	11. Chapter 10: Superdog

**Chapter 10**

**Superdog**

Bolt was chewing and throwing around his carrot toy when he heard the first loud bang.

He spun around, recognising it from several of those magic things called 'movies' he and Penny watch occasionally. The sound was usually the result of some sort of machine, a 'gun' going off, which usually resulted in someone getting hurt or killed.

Before Bolt could do anything more than drop the toy, he heard a deep voice yelling. "Clever girl! Distracting me like that!" Bolt didn't hear any more of it as his mind fell into a state of panic. "Penny!" He tore out of the room, just as a second shot rang out, Bolt wincing at the loud sound, praying it wasn't marking Penny's demise. Penny was everything to him. Without her...he had nothing; no home, no purpose.

"BOLT!" the cry stopped Bolt in his tracks. Penny was in danger, and now was certain that he had to do something. He tore after the source of the commotion, which seemed to be the Father's room, and stopped at the open doorway. A man stood in the middle of the room, wearing a strange black suit, which bore the a symbol of a green cats-eye on his back...the symbol of the 'company' Penny was always looking into...Calico Technology. The same company the Father worked for. The same company that, as far as Bolt could could tell, had gone evil, and that the father and Penny were now working to stop. He was still a little fuzzy on the details, although his understanding of the human language had improved significantly since his mark had burned in the mark.

In fact, a lot had happened when the mark had burned. For several minutes, his entire body seemed seemed to itch, as if an army of ants had been crawling under it. When that had finally disappeared, he had noticed the presence in his mind had grown, taking over a large, distant portion of his mind, as if it was waiting for something. Bolt did not understand what it meant, and for that, he was terrified. Some part of his instinct were telling him to reach out to this presence, to let it take him over, but another part was warning him against, because he simply did not know what the presence was, or what it would do if he reached out to it. For Bolt, the worst part of the whole situation was that Penny could not possibly know what was happening inside his head...this was a challenge he had to face completely and utterly alone, and it scared him.

But all of that was forgotten as he stared at this strange man, who was holding, as Bolt had feared, a small gun of some sort, and was pointing it at a doorway to the Father's personal bathroom, where Penny must have been hiding. Fury welled up in Bolt. The man was trying to harm Penny! Bolt crouched low, preparing to attack the man, to make him pay for his unprovoked attack.

But as he crouched there, Bolt heard footsteps behind him, before a loud, harsh voice. "Hey, what?"

Both Bolt and the big man he was about to attack spun, facing the doorway Bolt had just crossed, to see another black-suited man standing there, staring in shock at the White Shepherd before him. The man recovered in an instant, and reached for his hip, where another one of those guns lay.

Bolt reacted instinctively, and violently. Now these strange men were threatening him, and he would defend himself. Bolt trusted his instincts as he reached out with his mind, grabbing the strange presence and releasing it as he leapt at the man. The presence flowed through him, filling Bolt with an energy he had never felt before. He leapt high in the air, aiming straight for the man's chest, the presence in his mind seeming to enhance his strength, allowing him to gain the strength necessary to leap such a height. As Bolt reached the man, he kicked out hard with all four legs, putting his new-found strength into the blow, his legs connecting directly with the man's ribcage. The result was as spectacular as it was deadly. The man was launched off of his feet by the blow, flung straight across the hallway and into the opposite wall, which he crashed right through, his body slamming into some sort of metal pipe with a sound that made Bolt cringe. The man continued through the pipe, and the rest of wall, crashing the ground in the room beyond, where he lay perfectly still, not moving...and not breathing. Bolt, on the other hand, simply pushed himself away and landed on his feet back in the doorway, pleased that he had dealt with one threat.

"Simon?" Bolt spun to face the original man, as he stared at the scene with a stunned look on his face. He recovered quickly, though, his face growing cold as he raised his gun once more, preparing to take out Bolt with one shot.

Once again, Bolt's instincts kicked into high-gear, and he obeyed them, he once drew upon this presence...this strange 'power', and used it as his instincts suggested, to boost his speed. Bolt ran just as the man fired, tearing across the room and a speed Bolt had never thought possible, except in those travel machines, Bolt realised they were called 'cars', the bullet missing him by a full two yards. But Bolt had not predicted the speed he'd move, and as such, his original target of hiding under the bed was completely missed. He instead crashed into the opposite wall, where he blasted right through the plaster and wood, losing his balance with the impact and tripping, falling for a couple of yards as light hit him, crashing into the dirt. It took Bolt a few seconds to realised he had blasted his way outside by accident, and quickly pulled himself to his feet, remembering that both he and Penny were still in danger.

"You hear that, girl?" the man called, as Bolt saw, through the newly-created hole in the wall, a third man enter the room. "Your pathetic dog tried to save you! Too bad for you he's just a dog!"

"Bolt!" Penny's cry once again drove Bolt into action, his instincts once again telling him what to do. He could only see the third man from outside, but that was all he need. He stood there, planting his feet, and stared at the man with all his strength, using his power to assist him.

It took several moments, but Bolt was amazed when his power did its work, and two beams of green light and energy shot from his eyes. The distraction cancelled out the beams instantly, but the short burst was all he needed. The beams drove straight through the third man's midsection. The man yelled briefly, clutching at where the beams had penetrated his suit, before collapsing the ground with a loud crash, as silent and still as the other man.

"What the hell?!" the bulky man yelled from somewhere outside of Bolt's view, although he could hear him spinning, most likely looking at his dead partner. "What was that! Come out and show your face, whoever you are!"

Bolt smiled as he used his acute hearing to figure out exactly where the man was in the room, and positioned himself, preparing for another attack. This time he overrode his instincts, now knowing what he could do with his new-found power. He leapt for the wall once more, using his power to both assist his jump and improve his strength, blasting through the wall head-first with little effort, although it still hurt slightly. He landed right at the man's feet, who jumped at the sight. "What is going on, here?!"

"Get out!" Bolt growled ferociously, before grabbing the man by his leg, and swinging him around, throwing him away from where he had jumped in, instead aiming back into the house. Despite the man's size, Bolt was able to hurl him with considerable force, sending him flying across the room, through the wall into the hallway, where he crashed into the opposite wall, putting a sizable dent in it, and crashing to the floor, out cold.

Bolt looked around, checking for any more threats, his adrenaline still pumping through him. But it was over, there were no more men. He and Penny were safe...for now. "Penny!" Remembering his person, Bolt turned to run for the bathroom, but stopped when he saw Penny at the doorway, looking at him, her mouth gaping.

For several moments they stared at each other, Penny obviously in shock at this latest turn of events, Bolt breathing heavily, calming himself down as his power receded back into the corners of his mind, ready to be called upon whenever Bolt needed them. Once Bolt's adrenaline levels had receded away, he dashed forward, careful to keep his powers in check lest he hurt Penny, and jumped up, placing his paws on her stomach, looking up at her. "Are you okay?"

Penny just continued to stand there, using the door frame for support, her mind obviously struggling to process what had just happened Finally she recovered enough composure to at least speak. "Bolt...what...what did you...just do?" Finally, she seemed to come back to her senses, kneeling down and hugging Bolt close, falling to tears at how close they had both come to being killed in the last few minutes. "Bolt..."

The two of them just sat there, amongst the wrecked home, for several minutes, just appreciating the fact that the other one was alive. Penny was the first to come to her senses, dashing off to her room, calling to Bolt, who chased after her hurriedly. Bolt sat by the doorway to the room, watching out for any more intruders, and gathering his mangled thoughts.

_I have powers!_ Bolt realised, the thought shocking him, despite his recent display. But why? Why would he have just gotten these powers, he hadn't done anything to...the Father! Bolt realised that the Father must have changed him when he took him to his work, given him these powers, but for what purpose? Bolt's mind struggled to make sense of it all, until he remember a small part of the phone conversation he had managed to overhear between Penny and the Father.

_"You have Bolt...I altered him...he can protect you now!"_

The Father had given Bolt these powers to protect Penny, to protect her from these men, and their leader, this 'Doctor Calico', if Bolt recalled correctly. Bolt smiled, he knew what he had to do now, he, at long last, had a true, definable purpose: To protect Penny, wherever she might go, and whatever she might do, from Calico's evil forces, at any and all cost. No longer was he just another dog, which had never truly interested Bolt. Sure, he was happy living out his days by Penny's side, variously playing, resting, and generally pleasing Penny, but there had always been this part of him that had yearned for something more...for some big purpose, some large, important goal. And now he had it. Bolt looked down the hallway, to where he could see the splinters of plaster and wood, along with the unconscious body of the man that had attacked Penny, and felt nothing. No pleasure, but no remorse either. Those men had tried to hurt Penny, and now two of them had paid for it with their lives. To Bolt, it didn't matter. If this was what he had to do to protect Penny, then so be it.

Bolt then turned back into Penny's room, to see what she was doing. She had her trusty backpack with her, and was busy filling it with various things, a stack of spare change she had saved up, a chunky polaroid camera and a stack of photos that she had owned since before Bolt could remember, and various other things. Once she was done, she hoisted the bag over her shoulder and marched out of the room. "Come on, Bolt! We have to go before more of them get here!"

Once again, Bolt's improved understanding of human speech surprised Bolt, but he nevertheless followed. These powers were a gift, he realised. A gift to help him protect Penny, and he would use them to the fullest. He followed Penny out to the kitchen, where she stopped briefly to raid the cupboard, grabbing food and drink for both her and Bolt, before continuing on, Bolt following her out of the front door.

But as they crossed the front yard, Penny stopped, looking back sadly, Bolt stopping with her and following her gaze. From the front yard, the house showed no signs of the fight that had just occurred, but Bolt knew that that was not what had Penny saddened. Bolt knew, with a gut-wrenching sense of finality, that their lives had been turned upside down by today's events. Calico was hunting them, and they had to run. Bolt also felt despair creeping into his mind as he realised the truth. They had to run, to hide from Calico, and that, because of that, they could never come back here, ever again.

Penny sighed, before patting Bolt lightly along his back. "Come on, boy, let's go." With that, they turned and walked off down the street, Bolt suddenly worried for the future, now that he was being forced, with Penny, to abandon the only home they had ever known.


	12. Chapter 11: Full Circle

**Chapter 11**

**Full Circle**

With every step Penny took, she just wanted to turn around and run back home again. She desperately wanted to escape this nightmare, but knew that there was simply no way. This was all real, and one way or another, she was going to have to deal with it directly, rather than just running and hiding, and waiting for it to end.

As she walked, she pondered everything that had happened once more, along with her next move. Her dad had told her to go into hiding, to live out her days essentially as a fugitive, forever running from Calico and his men. But this was one request Penny simply had to deny. She knew that she could never live like that. The constant fear of being found, of putting other people in danger...just the thought was enough to make her shake. But what else could she do? If she could not live with running, what else was there to do? Fight? It was her and Bolt, alone, against an entire company! There was no way she could stop Calico on her own...

But that wasn't the point, she realised. The whole reason for her indecision was that she could not live, alone...at least not with the guilt of leaving her father behind, not in the hands of Calico, and definitely not with the guilt she bore from their last fight. No, she saw it now. If she could just get her father back, rebuild the fragmented remains of her family, then she could live on the run with a little more peace and security. And even with all that aside, she owed her father that much.

But how to go about such a drastic feat? Once again, Penny realised that it was her and Bolt against _an entire company!_ But she didn't want to destroy the entire company. If she could just find out where they were keeping her father, then that was all they would be up against. Penny knew that the best place to start would be in Highton, where Richard had worked. But she had no idea how to begin, or even how to get there. It was a three-hour drive to Highton, much too far to walk, and even if she could get to the sprawling new city, she had no idea how to go about finding where Calico's building was. Even in a small city like Highton, it was simply too easy for her to get lost. What she needed was a plan, but she simply did not have the information to come up with such a plan.

Once again, she slid her phone from her pocket, about to go over all the files her father had left her, looking for some small clue as to her next, when she suddenly remembered that dad had told her to go to Joe for help! She slapped her palm against her face when she remembered. The incident at the house had wiped it from her memory. She had no idea exactly how Joe could help her, but right now it was better than walking aimlessly around town, waiting for Calico to find her. With her mind at last set on a plan, she strode off towards Joe's Pet Store. She was fearful for what the future held, but what other choice did she have? Without her father, she knew that she stood no chance on the run.

Penny was still pondering everything when she entered the Pet Store, the bell attached to the door tinkling as she and Bolt wandered inside, Penny looking behind her, making sure that no-one was following her. The ambush at her house still fresh in her mind. She definitely did not want a repeat of that.

The moment she was inside, she moved behind a shelf full of various leads, collars, and dog toys, whistling to Bolt, who was by her side immediately. She immediately felt a lot safer now that she was out of sight, but her relief was quickly with a strange inner fear that she was paranoid. She shook the thought off as Joe approached. Today's events were enough to make anyone paranoid. She just had to find out exactly how Joe could help, and use that to assist in her next move.

Finally Joe came out from the back of the store. "Hello, how may I - " He stopped once he realised who it was. "Penny? Why, hello! What brings you here?"

"I don't have much time, Joe, so I'll get straight to the point," Penny said, flipping her phone open as she did so. "I need your help...desperately." She then played the recording of the conversation between herself and Richard from this earlier.

Joe froze as he listened to the recording, his jaw dropping lower and lower as he did. When it was over, Penny closed the phone and slipped it back into her pocket once more. "Dad said in that that you could help. Please," she begged. "Exactly what has he asked you to do?"

But Joe just remained still, obviously in mild shock, swaying slightly where he stood. It took him a full twenty seconds to respond. "I never...it's not..." he spent another ten seconds coming to his senses. "What's going on, Penny?"

"I don't know, but I'm hoping that whatever dad told you can help."

"Well..." Joe seemed to hesitate. "I don't know what you're looking for, Penny. All Richard asked me to do was keep a room down back here," he gestured behind, to the 'Staff Only' hallway he had appeared from. "He never told me what it was for, and he only occasionally came in to use it."

Penny saw the truth in an instant. Joe was not meant to help Penny...he never was. All he was meant to do was keep these things Richard had left behind until a time when Penny needed them. And it seemed that the time had at last arrived. "I need to see what he left there."

"Listen, Penny, what is - "

"There's no time, Joe! All I can say is that I need to see that room, and that dad's life's in danger here!" Penny was desperate.

"Wait, what?" Joe was stunned. "Richard's in trouble, what...?" He managed to stop himself, realising now how important Penny's request was. "Come on, but could you please explain it while we walk?"

Joe lead Penny into the hallway while Penny explained about Calico, Richard, and Bolt. She knew it was probably better for his safety if he did not know. But, then again, knowing the truth would help him devise a better plan for escaping, much like Penny was doing. "But Joe," she said, realising something. "Once I'm done with this room, you need to get out of here, out of Silverlake. Once Calico realises I'm on to him, he'll probably come after you."

"What about you?" Joe asked, as the two of them reached a door with a danger sign on it. Obviously a ruse.

Penny sighed, knowing that the time had come to make her decision final. Would she run, possibly heading into hiding with Joe, as her father had requested...or would she fight, try and get her father back, and maybe cause Calico's company some serious damage in the process. Penny didn't know if she had the courage to go through with what was almost certainly going to be a long battle against Calico. If her courage failed, she knew she would be done there and then. If it failed in the middle of an incident, all her effort would have been for nothing. It was simply too risky, and...

Penny looked down when Bolt whined up at her. The Shepherd was looking up at her with what appeared to be a comforting expression on his face, trying to cheer Penny up a little. And then Penny realised, what she could do.

_"He can protect you..."_

It wasn't going to be her that was doing the fighting, it was Bolt. Bolt was the one with the powers! The whole point of his powers was so he could protect her... But that only caused another snag. Could she put Bolt, her one and only friend and companion, with Richard gone, in danger...all for a cause he had almost nothing to do with? Penny tried to think of the situation in a different direction. _What would Bolt want?_

And as she looked at her friend, she realised that the answer was blatantly obvious. Bolt simply wanted for Penny to be happy. If Penny was happy, then he, too, was usually happy as well. And with that, Penny's decision was made. She looked back up at Joe, who was fiddling with the lock, still waiting for an answer. "I have to get my dad back."

Joe dropped the keys, which clattered to the floor. "Are you nuts?!" he demanded. "Calico has an entire organisation behind him! Even if you knew what had happened to Richard, how would you get him back?"

Penny looked down at Bolt. "Dad changed Bolt to protect me...maybe his powers can make a difference in the rescue, too."

"Penny, that's an awful big risk, and what - "

"What choice do I have?!" Penny retorted. "How could I live on knowing dad sacrificed himself for me?!"

"But that's the point!" Joe cried. "Richard got himself caught so you could escape and live on!"

"I know!" Penny was growing upset and frustrated. "I know he did! But I just can't do it! I can't just wander the world, alone, for the rest of my life! Not alone...not just me and Bolt. I have to get dad back..." she trailed off, her emotions getting the better of her for the umpteenth time that day. "I can't just leave him." She added softly.

Joe softened as he picked his keys back up, grabbing Penny's shoulder comfortingly. "I'm sorry...it's been a rough day for you, I assume. Look, if you really want to save your dad, I won't stop you...but please, Penny, please think about it. Don't go running in rashly. I'd hate to see you taken as well."

Penny sighed, forcing her emotions back in check. "I will."

With that, Joe unlocked the door in silence, stepping aside as he opened. "I'll wait for you."

Penny smiled at Joe, as a silent 'thank you', before stepping into the darkened room, Bolt, as always, right behind her. The room was pitch black, the only light coming from the hallway behind her. All she could see was a strip of floor in front of her, and a section of the room's opposite wall. She fumbled for a light switch, but stopped when she found it, hesitating. Exactly what had her father left here? Did she even want to know? Bolt's transformation was bad enough, particularly since it gave him, a simple White Shepherd, a lot of responsibility. Could Richard have possibly left something worse here? Dismissing the thought as ridiculous, Penny flicked on the light.

She did not expect to find what she saw. There room was fairly large, about fifty feet square, and made of nothing more than plain, solid concrete. Only one corner was occupied, and it contained a small stack of cardboard boxes. Sticky-taped to one near the front was a letter, the word 'PENNY' written in large letters on the front, clearly Richard's handwriting.

_Another message?_ Penny thought, looking at Bolt, confused. What was going on?

Bolt did not seem to have any of the misgivings Penny was feeling, and as such moved towards the boxes, sniffing as he went. Penny hesitated one more moment, before following, pulling the letter off of the box and unfolding it, reading it quickly.

_Penny,_

_By now you know everything I can possibly tell you, and I thank you for taking my advice and seeking out Joe. The house was simply too dangerous to hide these things, and I can only pray that Joe doesn't get harmed because of this, which is why you must tell him to run, Penny. He has done more than enough._

_Before you should be some boxes. Inside each are some...things...I stole from Calico's business. They should help you avoid him, along with all the information you should have on your phone._

_I trust you to use these wisely, and create a new life for yourself. I know you must be scared and upset right now, but I know you're strong...you'll make it through this, just trust your instincts...and trust Bolt. I altered him for a reason!_

_I'll miss you, Penny._

Penny simply re-folded the letter when she was done. Her emotions had been beaten around too many times for her to feel much in the wake of this latest turn of events. She tossed the letter aside, and started rummaging through the boxes, seeing exactly what her dad had left her to help her. Each item also came with another letter, each one explaining what it was, what it did, and how it would help her.

The first was a new backpack, a large red one, easily twice the size of the one currently on her back. It was completely waterproof, and shock-resistant, too, so nothing would get damaged inside it. Another box contained a very large sum of cash, which it seemed Richard had been saving since before he had gotten Bolt. It was now hers to assist in her hiding..._and getting dad back, _Penny thought grimly as she moved on. The third contained a compact, motorised scooter, although it looked just like a standard, foot-powered one, complete with a helmet. Apparently her father had personally modified it for her use, with a lead attachment that Bolt could grab and use to tow Penny along when Bolt's extra speed was needed. The lead attachment could also be detached and used as a normal leash for Bolt, to make them look more normal. And in the fourth box, there was a pair of chunky binoculars, complete with a small radar attachment that allowed it to see through walls, and an earpiece that would allow to listen in on whatever the radar was pointed at.

After all this, Penny realised that she was spending too much time here, and so skimmed over the rest, which wasn't much, before slipping off her old backpack, and transferring everything in it, and everything in the boxes, into the new one. Even the scooter, which was collapsible to the point where it resembled a strange metal brick, was able to fit in the pack. Once all her gear was organised and packed away once more, she hefted the pack onto her back, grunting. It was very heavy, but not excessively so, it might slow her down for a few days until she got used to it.

"Alright, Bolt, this is it!" she declared as he stood up. "We've done all we can here, now we have to - " she was silenced as she heard the front door of the shop opening, followed by a loud gunshot and Joe's fearful yell.

Calico's men had caught up!


	13. Chapter 12: Cornered

**Chapter 12**

**Cornered**

Penny jumped at the gunshot, her mind falling into panic almost instantly. _How'd they find us so fast!_

But she remained silent as she heard voices. "Hey, old man!" one of Calico's goons sneered. "I think you know you're in a bit of trouble here!"

"Wh-what do you w-want from m-me?" Joe stammered, the level of fear and panic in his voice told Penny that a gun must be point right at his nose. Her panic strangely disappeared as her desperation and fear kicked in, mixed with a strange determination. She had already lost one person close to her today, she was not about to see Joe pay the same price for helping her! She crept towards the room's exit as she continued listening, turning to Bolt and putting a finger over her mouth, hoping the Shepherd would understand as he followed Penny.

"I think you know, old man," the thug continued in his slow drawl. "There's a little girl, she bought a dog from this place - a shaggy white thing - anyway, we want to know where she is."

Penny froze just as she reached the hallway, waiting for Joe to give her up. Surely he couldn't have the courage to hide her with a gun to his head?

"She...She lives on t-the other...the other side of town...Harland Way...I think." Joe's stammering did a good job of hiding his lie, as Penny sighed with relief, and continued back towards the store proper, where the confrontation must have been taking place.

"We've already been there, and she escaped us. But we know she and her family know you very well, which means you know her well. Now, I'm going to ask you once, and once only: Where are you hiding her?"

Penny finally reached the corner, and peered around it, Bolt copying her. Joe was standing behind the counter of his store, his arms raised in a pathetic gesture of surrender as three men - Penny was relieved to note none of them had been involved in the mess at her house - all wearing the same black body armour, all holding pistols, all of which were pointed at Joe.

Joe hesitated, his loyalty to Penny now truly being pitted against his instinct to survive. The man who had been speaking, obviously the leader of this little group, grew impatient and fired the pistol, the bullet slamming into the wall directly behind and above Joe, who yelped and ducked, cowering. Penny gasped, terrified for a moment that Joe had actually been shot. She immediately covered her mouth, but it was too late. The man spun, facing Penny as she ducked back behind the corner, terrified. Last time it had just been one at a time. Now all three were after her at once!

"Come on, girly! Come out! We are trained professionals, and would rather not have to chase you, now just do as we say, and no-one gets hurt!"

Penny tried to see her options, but her panic-riddled mind wasn't thinking straight. In desperation, she tried to buy some time. "How do I know you're not lying?!" she demanded.

"We'll give you our word, now just come on out!" the man's voice grew more impatient as Penny continued to hide there.

But before she could figure out a plan, Bolt got other ideas. His face contorted with anger at seeing his person threatened, he shot out from behind the corner, using his new-found powers to shoot across the room at the three men. Penny goggled after him for the briefest of moments. "Bolt!" Finally coming to her senses, she sprinted after Bolt, disregarding any personal safety in favour of trying to stop her friend before he got himself killed.

Then everything happened at once.

The men had not expected Bolt to attack them, and as such they reacted slowly, Bolt using his green 'heat-vision' to blast one goon through the chest as he ran, the man clutching at the twin wounds before dropping like a stone, crashing to the ground. The leader of the group, who Bolt was aiming for, was a little faster, and jumped aside, dodging Bolt's headlong charge at the last second. bolt, still not used to his new powers, simply kept going and crashed into a shelf, even though he tried to stop at the last moment. He did not crash through it, but still hit it with enough force to tip it over, sending it, and himself, crashing to the ground in tangle heap of metal, fur and pet food cans.

The third goon, who no-one had paid any attention to, turned to face the place where Bolt had disappeared under the shelf, and started shooting, the gunshots echoing through the store...and Penny's consciousness. Seeing her friend now being directly threatened, all fear and doubt vanished. With a desperate cry of "NO!" she grabbed the nearest object she could find, which turned out to be a ceramic ornament for a fish tank, and hurled it with all the force she put into her arm at the man who was trying to kill her dog. The object appeared to fly in slow-motion to Penny, spinning through the air. But her aim was true. It struck the man straight into his exposed temple, the ornament shattering on impact. The man staggered for two steps, the gun going off one more time, before he, too crashed to the floor, right by the front door of the store, out cold.

The last man, the leader, turned at this, took one look at the man on the floor, blood beginning to trickle from his temple, and one look at Penny, and turned his pistol on Penny. "You're too much trouble, I'm sure Calico will understand."

But just as he pulled the trigger, Joe came out from behind the counter, tackling the man. The gun discharged, but the shot went wild as it slipped from the man's grip, both of them tumbling to the floor.

"Penny, go! Get out of here!" Joe cried, before the two of them started wrestling.

but Penny stood rooted to the spot, her terror returning fast. Everything was happening at once, and she was so confused. Eventually she sprung into action, leaping towards the collapsed shelf, trying to find Bolt amongst the mess of cans that had spilled everywhere. She dug through the cans, finally finding Bolt.

He wasn't moving.

"Bolt, no!" Penny cried, pushing the last of the cans aside and kneeling beside him. There was no sign of a bullet-wound on his body, which relieved Penny to no end. She pulled him onto her lap, checking for any sign of any sort of wound. "Come on, Bolt, wake up!"

But his blunder had knocked him out, or at least dazed him, and he continued to lie there, perfectly still, as Penny realised that he wasn't going to be getting back up anytime soon. Suddenly remembering the mortal danger she was in, she looked back at the wrestling match Joe and the last thug were engaged in. It was obvious from a single glance that it was not looking good. Joe had never been into physical activities, and this man had obviously been taught how to fight. Joe was taking quite a beating, and it would only be a matter of time before the thug overpowered him and got his gun back...

Getting a sudden inspiration, Penny sprang up, leaving Bolt where he was, charging back towards the thug that Bolt had lasered, towards the gun that rested next to his body. She had never even touched a gun before - Richard had never liked the things - but it was her only chance...it was Joe's only chance.

She reached it, grabbing it just as Joe got knocked off of his feet by a powerful blow from the thug, crashing into a wall and slumping dazed. The thug immediately stood, grabbing his own gun and preparing to finish Joe off, raising it and...

"Hey!" Penny's yell got the man's attention. He spun, facing her, holding the gun in front of her, two-handed, shaking. She hesitated briefly, before she became certain she had no other option, and pulled the trigger.

_Click._ Nothing happened.

"No..." Penny breathed as the thug laughed, raising his own weapon at Penny.

"You've never used a gun before, have you?" the man gloated. "You need to take the safety off before it will fire!"

Penny just stared, mouth agape, as the man steadied his aim. She realised, with a disappointing sense of finality, that it was over. She had barely even gotten started, and Calico had already won. She was dead, and Bolt and Joe would soon follow...there was nothing she could do but accept it, and pray that it would be quick.

"Goodbye, girly!" the man yelled triumphantly, savouring his victory.

Penny just closed her eyes, and waited for it to all be over.

_Bang!_


	14. Chapter 13: Invasion

**Chapter 13**

**Invasion**

No pain...no emptiness...nothing. _Huh?_

Penny opened her eyes, just in time to see the thug crash to the floor, his eyes blank, a through-and-through bullet wound in his head. Penny turned away, fighting back revulsion and nausea, dropping her own gun to the floor as she covered her mouth with her hands. She then whirled around, looking for the person that had saved her.

And there in the doorway, looking absolutely horrified with himself, holding the still-smoking pistol the third thug had wielded...was Larry. Richard's best friend and workmate. He stood there for a few moments, before throwing the gun away from himself, backing away until he was leaning against one of the glass windows, his look of self-disgust only increasing. It was obvious that he was struggling to come to terms with the realisation that he had just killed another person.

The whole scene was stayed in that frozen moment for a full minute, no-one moving, everyone simply coming to terms with what had just happened, Penny continuing to stare at Larry as her mind processed this latest battle. Her fight against Calico was turning into a war! They had already found her twice within an hour, how the hell was she supposed to escape them now? She had been lucky in these first two close calls, and she doubted she would get another chance. _But how?_ her mind screamed. _How were they finding her so quickly?!_ The answer took only seconds for Penny to find. Silverlake...they knew where she lived, and they knew it would be impossible for her to escape the remote town alone. All they had to do was chase her around town until they wore her down...it was too easy. Even with Bolt protecting her...

"Bolt!" Coming back to her senses, Penny rushed back to Bolt's side, to find him slowly coming back to his senses, trying to pull himself back to his feet. She sighed with relief, before holding her friend close. "You scared me, boy."

At this point Larry came up to them. "You okay, Penny?" he asked shakily. He was still reeling from the killing.

Penny looked up at him, a thousand questions running through her mind. "Yeah, we're both fine," she replied. "But what are you doing here?"

"I saw you heading this way, and you looked terrible, so I thought I'd see what was going on, but then those three showed up and threatened Joe, and, well..." he stopped, but Penny didn't need him to finish. The rest explained itself well enough.

But Penny became distracted once more, as she turned to where Joe had slumped to the floor, calling him. He was busy getting back to his feet, and looked up at Penny's call. "I'm fine, Penny! I just...how'd they find you?"

"It's this place...it's Silverlake!" Penny replied loudly, her reserves of adrenaline still pumping through her. "They know it's impossible for me to escape this town on foot, so they can just keep searching this town until they find me!"

"And with a town as small as Silverlake," Larry realised. "But Penny, what's going on? I just got back from work, and Richard's been acting really strange today, is there - "

"I don't have time to explain it over, but Calico has kidnapped my dad, and now he's after me! Larry, please, you need to get out of here! Everyone in town is in danger while I'm still out of their reach! Both you and Joe need to get out of here before they come for you, too!" Penny did not want to see anyone else suffer because of her.

"But what are you going to do?" Joe called back. "You can't stay in Silverlake, you won't last the day!"

Penny looked outside, although she didn't know why, and saw that a small crowd of townspeople had gathered on the street outside the store, looking in and trying to figure out what had just happened. _All those people, _Penny thought, _and all of them are in danger while I stay... _"I have to get out of Silverlake," she realised. "Dad left me some things that will help me, but every second I remain in this town, more people are being put in danger." She paused, before deciding to emphasise her previous point. "But you two need to get out of here. Calico will know by now that both of you are close to me, and he will try and use you to find me. You have to get your families, and get out! Just hide until things die down, then come back when you think it's safe again."

"But what are you going to do?" Larry asked. "Even if you make it out of Silverlake, where will you go?"

Penny was touched and frustrated at the same time. She admired Larry and Joe for caring about her, even as they were in danger, but she did not want to put them in any danger herself, and every second they spent trying to help her, they too were Calico's targets. "I need to get to Highton," Penny finally admitted. "I need to find out what Calico has done with dad." She drove on before Larry could argue. "Don't say it, Larry. I know it's dangerous, but I can't just leave him. I have to get him back, and he's left me things that will allow me to do that."

Larry sighed, before turning to Joe. "Joe, get out of here! You've done enough, already. Go get your family, and get out of town!"

"What are you gonna do?" Joe cried back.

Larry turned to Penny. "Like you, Penny, I owe it to Richard to help him. But I have my own family to worry about, so all I can do is take you out of town. I can get you to Highton, but from there, you'll have to be on your own."

Penny was once again touched, but she did not want to put anyone else in any more danger. "Larry, you have other things to worry about besides me, and - "

"If I have to run from here, at least let me take you as well! Calico probably won't be expecting you to have help, so it's probably the safest way!" Larry was being very insistent, and Penny realised that he was not going to back down.

"I...Thank you, Larry. I mean that."

"Good," Larry said, managing a weak smile as he turned back to Joe. "Now you, go!"

Joe hesitated a moment. "Get him back, Penny," he finally said, and with a final nod to Larry, Joe left, walking as calmly as he possibly could from the store, pushing his way through the ever-increasing crowd, before finally leaving Penny's sight. She could only hope that he and his family were able to stay safe, knowing she would almost certainly never know if they lived or died from now on. She sighed, looking down at Bolt, who was now back on his feet, although he was still a little dizzy.

"Come on, Penny," Larry said, grabbing Penny's arm and pulling her back to her feet, before dragging her out of the store after Joe, Bolt right behind them. "Calico's men will almost certainly be here soon, and we can't be here when they are!"

As they ran, Penny pulled her hoodie up over her head to hide her face, and used the scooter's detachable leash, clipping it onto Bolt's collar, his dirt-covered fur making him look nothing like the White Shepherd Calico's men would be on the lookout for. Which was just as well, for the trio were passed by several of the black cars Calico's men used as they walked. but they were so focused on the pet store incident that they little attention to the man, teenage girl, and filthy dog that they passed.

As they walked, Penny decided that this time, it was best if Larry did not know all the facts. As long as he stayed away from Silverlake for a few days, he should be fine. As such, she pushed off his requested for her to explain exactly what had happened. "It's better if you don't know," she said simply. Larry persisted for a short time, but eventually stopped, seeming to realise the sense in Penny's argument.

After a short time, the two reached Larry's house, which wasn't that much different from Penny's. "Now, Penny, don't say anything to Kate, alright. Let me tell her," Larry said, stopping Penny just before the front door. Penny nodded, and with that, the two entered the house, Bolt in tow. There was no way the loyal dog was going to leave Penny's side, now that he was certain that she was in grave danger.

Larry left Penny in the living room, where she flopped into a couch, Bolt leaping up protectively onto her lap, and waited, as she heard Larry begin to talk with his wife, Kate, in another room. Penny looked down at Bolt, trying her best to ignore the argument that was flaring up between the couple, she knew it was not her business to pry in on whatever it was Larry was trying to explain to her. To distract herself, she wiped away the dust, dirt and grime from Bolt's face, which the dog seemed to find extremely comforting, before wiping it away from the mark on his left flank, revealing it in all its startling clarity once more. "What are we going to do, Bolty?" she asked softly, Bolt looking up at her voice. "How are we gonna get him back? I know you have your powers, but against everything Calico must have after us, how?" Bolt simply panted back, although his face seemed downcast. Penny was surprised at the way seemed to her understanding her more and more with each passing moment. _Just another alteration,_ she thought dismissively.

But a plan had been forming in her mind, and she felt ready to try and put it into action. She knew that her father worked for Calico at Highton, and Larry had promised to take her that far. Once she found the building, she would have to find a way to sneak in, and find something relating to her father's whereabouts. It was a dangerous, risky plan; Highton was one of Calico Technology's biggest centres, and it was sure to be heavily guarded, all of the security personnel looking out for any sign of her and Bolt. But all she needed was to find out where her father was being kept, find him, and get him out. As long as she was careful, she should be fine, particularly with Bolt by her side.

Bolt's alterations were also starting to show themselves. In the two instances Bolt had used his powers so far, he had shown an incredible increase in his strength, speed, and jumping ability. And that strange trick with his eyes Penny could only describe as 'Laser-Vision' or 'Heat-Vision'...Bolt had already killed two of Calico's men with it. Penny looked at Bolt's face, which seemed untroubled by the three men he had killed so far. she did not like the fact that her efforts to survive and rescue her father were costing other people their lives, even if they were working for Calico. What if they were being forced to do his worked, what if they just wanted to escape him, like her father? What right did she or Bolt have to decide who lived and who died? Feeling slightly disgusted with herself for all the death that had occurred today, she vowed to try and teach Bolt to show more restraint, to stop Calico's men and take them out of action without permanently harming them.

As Penny thought over this, the argument between Larry and Kate continued to rage for a time. Finally it died down, and Larry returned to the living room, clearing his throat to get Penny's attention. "Alright, Penny, here's what's going to happen: Me and Kate are going to help you get out of Silverlake. We'll spend the night somewhere along the highway, then we'll get you to Highton the next morning. We'll drop you off on the city's outskirts, then we'll head our own way." He moved closer to Penny and continued in a whisper. "I wish I could help more, Penny, but that is all Kate is willing to do for you."

Penny nodded, but pushed Bolt off her lap and stood, looking at Kate, who had appeared in the room as well, when she spoke. "That's fine. What you're doing is more than enough." She smiled at Kate, showing she appreciated how much they were doing. The woman didn't smile back; she obviously did not like what Larry had pushed her into. Penny simply turned back to Larry, deciding it wasn't the time to try and convince Kate otherwise. "So how are getting out of town? Calico will still be looking for me."

Larry smiled. "Don't worry, I have a plan that should have those guys nicely fooled."


	15. Chapter 14: Silver City Highway

**Chapter 14**

**Silver City Highway**

Penny clutched Bolt with one arm, keeping him close as she used her free arm to hold the blanket over the two of them, shaking with fear and apprehension. _This'll work,_ she kept reminding herself in a desperate attempt to remain calm._ It'll work..._

Her hiding spot was located in the trunk of Larry's SUV, which was currently weaving it's way casually through Silverlake, Larry at the wheel, Kate in the front passenger seat. Penny's guilt had only increased when she had noticed, on the way to the SUV, that Kate was in the middle stages of pregnancy, a small but distinctive bump on her belly. She had tried to let the two go their own way when she had noticed, but Larry wound not have any of it, insisting that as long as she and Bolt kept still in the back, that there would be no danger of them getting caught. Despite agreeing with the plan, and following them when Kate offered no argument against Larry, she still felt extremely guilty. If they were caught with her, Kate's unborn child may not ever make it into the world, and Penny knew she would never get over the guilt of being responsible for the death of an unborn child.

"So, Penny, exactly how do we tell Calico's men from the rest of us?" Larry asked from the driver's seat. "I think it'll help if we know if we're being followed."

"Wait..." Fear rose in Penny for what must have been the twentieth time that day. "Are we?"

"I don't know, that's the point!" Larry cried back.

Penny sighed. "Calico's men on the side walk, they won't be a problem for us. But they all drive big black cars."

"Sedan? Wagon? SUV?"

"Sedan," Penny finished.

"Brand?"

"I wouldn't have a clue!" Penny did not know her cars well. "It isn't like anything I've ever seen before!"

There came a slapping sound that could only be Larry hitting himself in the face. "Of course! Calico will be using his own design! It's alright, Penny, I know what to look for now!"

Penny sighed, relieved that argument had worked itself out. She had seen the cars Calico's men used, and even had a photo of them, but she had not bothered to check the details yet. She would have done so now, but she needed to stay still, at least until they were out of Silverlake. All it took was one passing, one man on the street, to notice movement in the trunk, and every one of Calico's men in the area would be on their tail very fast.

She felt Bolt move fractionally under her arm, and proceeded to hold him tighter. "I'm sorry, Bolt. Just stay still, we'll be outta here soon." She knew Bolt was uncomfortable from having to lie here - she was too - but the alternate was far less appealing.

"My God," it was Kate's voice that rang out this time.

"What?" Penny asked. "What's going on?"

"Penny, I don't think you - "

Penny interrupted her. "If I'm responsible for this mess, at least me what I've done!"

Kate sighed, but relented. She went on to describe the situation on the street. Calico's men, who seemed to have caught on to the incident at the Pet Store, and the fact that Penny had disappeared, were now searching, and had dropped any pretence of doing the search quietly. They were invading homes and shops, searching them and threatening anyone who got in their way. So far no one had been harmed.

"How can they expect to get away with this?" Penny asked when Kate was done. "Surely they realise that the cops are going to get involved!"

"I don't know," Larry replied. "It makes no sense to me, either!" His voice dropped, but Penny still heard him. "Do you see now, Kate? Do you see what would have happened if we stayed?"

"I..." Kate still seemed to be a little stunned. "But you work for him! You work for Calico, Larry, surely that must - "

"Honey, Richard worked for Calico! And now he's their prisoner! Whatever's happening, whatever Calico is up to, working for him is not going to make any difference if he decides to target us! In fact, since I know Richard, it probably just gives him more reason to come after us!" His voice softened considerably when he continued. "Katey, please listen. I hate this as much as you do...but we have no choice. I would not be doing this if I thought we had another choice, and it's only for a few days, anyway, at least until they realise Penny's not in Silverlake any more."

Kate remained silent, but Penny sensed that she had finally given in to the truth of the situation. For that, Penny was relieved. As long as they stayed away from Silverlake for a time, they would be fine.

"How you doing back there?" Larry called, although it seemed to be more to distract himself than for Penny's well-being.

"Bolt doesn't like it one bit, but we're okay. Just get us onto the Highway!"

The Silver City Highway was a large state highway that connected Highton to Silverlake. With three lanes in either direction, and cutting through massive open fields, it would be safe for Penny and Bolt to come out from under the blanket there...as long as they weren't followed.

As if to confirm Penny's worst fears, she heard the distinctive rumbling of a high-powered engine coming from somewhere behind their SUV, and she heard Larry's breathing gain in intensity. "We've got one behind us!" he called.

"Just keep driving normally," Penny and Kate cried simultaneously. "He can't know we're in here! Just keep heading for the highway."

Larry followed their combined advice, and within a few moments Penny felt the SUV rev as it hit the highway on-ramp, Larry calling that Calico's car had left them as the vehicle entered the highway. Larry seemed to wait for a few more moments, before he finally called to Penny; "We're fine! You can get out from under there!"

"Oh, yes!" Penny threw the blanket off of herself and Bolt with relief, letting Bolt go as she stretched in the trunk, sighing with unbelievable relief as the pent-up tension and anxiety disappeared. Once she had gotten feeling back into her arms and legs, she jumped into the back seat and strapped herself in, as Bolt jumped after her and took up the remained two seats himself, his head resting on Penny's lap.

"See?" Larry said, smiling back at Penny. "I told you it'd work!"

Even Kate managed a weak smile. "I guess you do have your moments, Larry, but - "

She was cut off as the back window of the SUV simply exploded, shattering inwards, causing everyone to yell and duck reflexively, as glass shards scattered all over the trunk of the SUV.

"What the hell?!" Larry yelled, all three looking behind them to find out what had just happened.

And there, a few-hundred yards behind them, was one of Calico's black sedans, with someone leaning out of the passenger-side window, firing a pistol at them.

"How?!" Penny cried as Calico's men continued to fire at them. "How did they know?"

"It doesn't matter!" Larry yelled back. "We just need to lose them!" With that, he jammed his foot harder on the gas pedal, and the SUV accelerated gradually, passing 70 miles an hour.

But the sedan must have been equipped with Calico's state-of-the-art technology, because it just kept coming, closing in on them with astounding ease, Penny screaming and ducking as the gunman started shooting again, Penny feeling a bullet lodge itself in the foam of her seat back.

Larry pushed the gas pedal into the floor as the SUV passed 80, but the sedan just kept closing, doing at least 90. In their passenger seat, Kate looked at her husband in concern, but then seemed to notice something. She seemed to hesitate for a moment. "Aw, hell, they are not going to kill my baby!" she cried, reaching for what, at least to Penny, appeared to be Larry's belt. But when she pulled back, Penny was stunned to find she was holding a pistol, much like the ones Calico's men used. In fact, Penny realised, it was the same weapon. "Larry!" she cried. "Where'd you get that?!"

"The fight at the Pet Store. I knew we were going to need it!"

As the SUV passed 100 miles an hour, Kate leaned out of her own passenger window, although she was turned around, facing backwards, and started firing back at the sedan, taking slow, steadied shots. It seemed she had watched some movies in her time as well.

In wake of the unexpected return fire, the sedan slowed, backing off slightly, although their gunman continued to shoot back. As he ducked back into the sedan to reload, Kate seized her opportunity, firing at the sedan windscreen, trying to hit something. Three shots hit the windscreen, but it had obviously been fitted with bulletproof glass, since it just scratched the glass, the bullets bouncing away harmlessly. Two more bullets hit the car's front grill, again doing very little damage, before Kate's gun simply clicked, having run out of ammo. She threw the gun away, before pulling back into the SUV. "Now what?!"

"I don't know!" Larry yelled back. "But we've gotta end this now, or were screwed!"

Penny continued to sit in the back, thinking hard. She had to do something, anything! She turned back to look at the sedan, which was once again approaching fast. It seemed they too knew that their targets were in trouble. As Penny turned back, her eyes locked with Bolt's, which seemed to be asking Penny a question. She looked from the sedan to Bolt, and back again, and finally saw their escape. She smiled at Bolt. "Go get 'em, boy!"

Larry and Kate both looked back, wondering who Penny was talking to. They could only watch in amazement as Bolt leapt back over the seat, into the trunk of the SUV, ignoring the shattered glass as he went to the broken back window, the gunman firing back at them once more. But the act of shooting from a fast-moving vehicle at another one was tricky, and his couldn't seem to land an accurate shot as Bolt seemed to weight his options for a moment, before deciding on his course of action, and started staring down the sedan. Within seconds, his Heat-Vision activated, green beams of light shooting from his eyes, cutting across the hundred-or-so yards between the two vehicles in the blink of an eye, before lancing right through the bulletproof windshield, right where the driver would be sitting!

Sure enough, Bolt had indeed hit the driver of the sedan, because after a few tense seconds, the sedan veered suddenly to the right, rolling off the highway, bouncing down an embankment, before glancing a tree and spinning violently, the gunman hurled clear out of the vehicle. The sedan then slammed into another tree, where it crashed to a sudden halt, well and truly finished in its chase.

Penny turned away from the sight as Bolt returned to Penny's side, where he began casually flicking bits of glass off his paws, his powers protecting him from their sharp edges.

Larry took a few moments to steady the SUV's speed and bearing, before he turned back to Penny, he and Kate looking from her to Bolt, absolutely gobsmacked. "What...? I...?"

Penny decided to end this before Larry crashed the car. "Just focus on the road, I'll tell you once we're not in danger of crashing."

With that, the four of them continued down Silver City Highway, Penny looking back one last, seeing Silverlake in the distance. She sighed, knowing this was probably the last time she would ever see home...ever again.


	16. Chapter 15: Waffle Refuge

**Chapter 15**

**Waffle Refuge**

Penny rummaged through the data on her phone, eyes flicking across the file on the sedan's Calico's men used, which seemed to go by the nickname 'Sonic'. Her eyes ran across the features the car had, according to her father's research into Calico. If they were going to face any more of them, which was almost guaranteed, they needed to know exactly what these things could do.

And sure enough, as Penny had feared, these cars were not to be messed with. They had the speed and power of a sports car, but the strength and sheer durability of a truck. Essentially, if you were on the wrong end of one, you were toast. There were also a lot of internal features, and one caught Penny's attention instantly. "Guys," she called to Larry and Kate. "Those cars Calico uses have radio systems. There's a good chance they know I'm not in Silverlake any more!"

Larry cursed, thumping the steering wheel as he continued to drive the car, even though it was fast getting dark. It had been less than half an hour since they had stopped the men that had chased them, and it was already closing in on seven o'clock. Penny was stunned at how much had occurred in just one day. The phone conversation with her father already felt like it had happened a few days ago, not a few hours. "Alright, we need to stop for fuel and food in any case, so we'll just have to alter our plans a little." Larry turned back to face Penny. "There's a Waffle World highway stop a little while away. We need to stop there. Now, Penny, I want you and Bolt to wait in the car, while me and Kate head in. Hopefully that way, even if they recognise the car, they won't find you, so they'll simply pass us by. I know it's not much, but it's all I've got."

"Can't we hide off the highway, then get the food?" Kate suggested.

Larry shook his head. "We need fuel as well, and the stop has a gas station. No, we have to risk it. I know of a river a little father down the highway. It's banks are covered with trees we can hide in for the night, once we have what we need."

In the end, no-one argued with him, so twenty minutes later, as the light completely faded, the only trace of the sun being a faint glow on the western horizon, the SUV pulled into a highway stop, which included both a gas station and a Waffle World restaurant. Larry filled the car, before pulling it into the restaurant car park. With a final warning to Penny and Bolt to stay in the car, he and Kate left, heading into the restaurant, leaving Penny alone with Bolt, to deal with her thoughts once more.

She absently scratched Bolt's neck, keeping him pleased whilst trying to go over her plan once more. She needed to find out what was going on inside the Highton facility. But how? Larry had warned her during the trip that it was impossible to pass the main lobby without rigorous security screening, and that was only if the main entrance guards did not recognise her first. But then again, she realised, she did not need to actually get into the facility, she just needed to listen in on what was happening there, find out if there was any word on her father. But how could she possibly do that? The building was made of concrete, steel, and reflective glass. There was no way of knowing what was going on in there without x-ray vision, and the ears of a bat...

_Of course!_ Penny reached into her bag, rummaging through all her things until she found what she was looking for...the binoculars! Her father's notes had told her that they were capable of seeing through walls for a short distance, and then listening in on whatever was going on within that range as well. She could use them to listen in on Calico's building from a safe distance, and find out what was going on. _But then what?_ She realised her plan, from that point on, fell in a heap. If her father was there, how would she get him out? It seemed that, either way, barring some miracle, she was still going to have to infiltrate one of Calico's biggest, and most important facilities. But could she? Could her planning, and Bolt's power, be enough to get through Calico's defences? Penny doubted it. Bolt was still learning to cope with his new abilities. Right now, he had just as much chance of hurting himself as Calico's men. Bolt simply needed more time to adjust before Penny could risk anything. But still, there was simply no time. Every second Penny spent sitting idle, her father spent in Calico's clutches, and was most likely one less second he had to live. She needed to do something before it was too late.

With that, she finally set her mind on a plan. When Larry brought her to Highton tomorrow, she would seek out Calico's facility, and watch it from afar, find whatever clues she could relating to her father. If this required her to assault the facility, she would then have no choice but to hide somewhere for a few days, and train Bolt in his new powers. Once he was ready, then, and only then, would they try and get in.

Penny was focused on her planning, that she did not immediately notice when a large, black sedan pulled into the highway stop, parking down the other end of the parking lot from Larry's SUV. She only looked up when Bolt jumped up on the window, releasing a single, sharp bark to get her attention. She looked out the window and, in the light the restaurant gave off, saw two men in business suits get out, before walking with purpose towards the restaurant.

_More of them?!_ Penny's mind exclaimed. Exactly how many men was Calico willing to lose in his pursuit of her? She pulled Bolt down from the window, clasping a hand over his mouth to silence him as the men walked closer, before heading into the restaurant. They knew...they knew that their initial chase efforts had failed, and were now trying to catch up. And all Penny could do was sit back and keep Bolt quiet, and pray that they did not notice the SUV...

* * * * *

Inside the restaurant, Larry looked up, and nearly dropped his wallet, which he was currently rummaging through for cash, when he saw two men in black business suits walk through the door. They looked a lot like the stony-faced agents in cheesy movies, but Larry knew that this was the look preferred by Calico's agents, since it generally caused people to keep their distance. He immediately turned to Kate, who was standing with her back to the entrance, and had not yet noticed the two agents. "Two of Calico's guys just walked in," he whispered, causing Kate to pale slightly, although she did a good job of remaining calm. "Just stay calm, if they knew we were her they'd already have Penny. They're just doing a search, that's all."

"And what about us?" Kate whispered back, a hand involuntarily going to her baby bump.

"Act natural," Larry repeated. "Without Penny, we're just another family, I doubt they know who we are." Despite this, his instincts were telling him desperately to run as the agents started walking casually through the restaurant, looking around themselves, obviously searching for any sign of Penny. Larry did his best to remain calm, but he could feel himself shaking, and could swear that everyone around him must hear his heart pounding away in his chest. But despite these convictions, he managed to keep himself still, pretending to focus on the menu boards above the counter as the agents made their rounds, although he couldn't help but notice one of them make a double-take on him, as if he recognised him.

Larry's panic then hit fever-pitch as the man went to his partner, and talk to him briefly, before the two of them came towards him and Kate. He tried to focus harder on the menu, and just prayed, silently, that nothing would happen, as the men came closer, and closer, until it was simply impossible to deny any longer...they had found him out, and were about to grab him!

But just as Larry was about to grab Kate and run, the agents went right past them, and headed back out the main door, obviously done with their search. Both Larry and Kate released the breaths they had been unconsciously holding, before resuming their focus on the menu, although Larry was still having difficulty concentrating on it. _That was too close..._

* * * * *

Penny jumped at the sight of the two men leaving the restaurant, just a minute or so after they had gone in. Once again holding Bolt, desperately trying to keep him quiet, she was relieved to note that Larry and Kate were not with them. Nevertheless, she watched the two agents intently as they made their way back to their car, before keying the ignition and driving away, heading off down the highway, back towards Silverlake, obviously done.

Penny sighed with relief, releasing Bolt, who continued to watch the sedan as it slipped away into the distance, Penny watching the restaurant for any sign of Larry and Kate. They finally emerged several minutes later, carrying bags of junk food and looking very on edge, both of them looking everywhere for any sign of danger as they made their way quickly back towards the SUV.

"What happened?" Penny asked as Larry and Kate jumped in, Larry keying the ignition immediately and wasting no time in getting them on their way once more.

Larry only responded once they were back on the highway. "We got lucky. I think those two were recalled for something else at the last second, otherwise they might've had us." He paused, Penny whistling at how close they had come to disaster. "We have to get to the river, now!"

"Listen, both of you, please," Penny pleaded. "You both - "

"Forget it, Penny!" Larry snapped, although he did not turn away from the road. "I will not abandon you in the middle of the highway and leave you at Calico's mercy!"

"Larry, listen to me!" Penny screamed, finally getting Larry to sit back and listen. "You have a baby on the way, Larry! Captured or not, I will never forgive myself it that baby is harmed. Please, just leave me at this river, and then go! Take Kate, and just go. You've already saved me twice today...you've done enough."

Larry did not answer, and continued to focus on the road ahead, although his stiff stance in his seat suggested to Penny that he deep in some internal battle of wills. But in the end, it was Kate who responded. "Penny, when Larry first told me what was happening, and what he had promised you, I thought he was nuts...I thought you were both nuts." Her hand went to her belly as she continued. "I know you're worried for my baby, and I thank you, but your dog, whatever the hell's been done to him, has saved us as well. I did not want to take you before, but now...no, we'll get you to Highton, as we promised."

"Kate - "

"No, Penny. This is one promise I will keep." Kate's voice held it's previous kindness, but became more firm. "Just let us help you. You don't have to be all alone in this...you do have friends."

"I'm never alone, Kate," Penny replied. "I have Bolt." Knowing the conversation was over, she looked down at Bolt, who had fallen asleep in the last couple of minutes. She watched as his side, with the mark still there, rising and falling with each deep breath. It was the first time all day that Bolt had looked at all relaxed. As she watch him, she knew that Bolt, who was now so focused on his powers, and using them to protect her, was probably only going to relax when he was asleep. In fact, it was probably the only time either of them would relax.

Kate seemed to think for a moment, then decided to speak. "Larry was right, you know. You are an amazing girl. Faced with all this trouble, all this danger, the first thing you think about is making sure everyone close to you is safe." She then turned back to face the front, leaving Penny to ponder the comment as they all continued the trip in silence.

But fifteen minutes later, as the SUV rolled off the highway, winding its way into a cluster of trees by a small, fast-slowing river, Penny's mind simply could not take any more. It had been a long, eventful day, and Penny was absolutely exhausted. Now that any sense of danger seemed to be gone, all she wanted to do was lie down and sleep her fears away. And as Larry finally stopped and turned off the SUV, that's exactly what she did, as she lay down on the back seat, Bolt jumping into the trunk to give her room.

"Alright, Penny," Larry said, causing Penny to sit up again. "Tomorrow morning we'll drop you off out in Highton's outskirts, then we'll head our own way. Is that alright?"

"That's fine...thanks," Penny replied, yawning expansively, before settling her head back down, within minutes lost in a deep, yet restless sleep.


	17. Chapter 16: Parting

**Chapter 16**

**Parting**

Bolt pulled himself slowly out of sleep, not wanting to leave the blissful world of his dreams, and head back to the dangerous and frightening reality he knew was real. But even so, he could not ignore the fact that Penny was also in danger, and as such, he yawned and stretched, squinting as his eyes were assaulted by bright sunlight.

But as he got to his feet, he once again had that odd feeling of not belonging in the body he was currently inhabiting. Within moments, Bolt realised that it was because something had happened to him - and to his powers - overnight. He checked the presence in his mind, which he now knew was the driving force behind his powers, and sure enough, just as he had expected, the presence felt larger...stronger. His powers were growing! For a brief moment Bolt wondered how his mind, only able to comprehend the simplest things two days ago, was now looking at everything in new and complex ways. But again, it took him seconds to realise that it was another effect of his power. It was making him smarter, more able to understand the world around him, and therefore more able to use his powers to assist Penny.

Shaking himself in an attempt to rid himself of his discomfort, which he hoped would not become a constant problem, he looked around the trunk of the vehicle he was in, noticing that the SUV was once again moving along the long, black stretch of land the humans called 'roads'. As he looked towards the front of the vehicle, he could see the two humans, Larry and Kate, in the front seat, and further on, off in the distance, he could see a cluster of man-made towers...a city.

Bolt's mind could only come to one conclusion...that must be Highton!

Even from this distance, Bolt could see that the city, at least in his mind, was absolutely huge! He had never really been outside Silverlake for all his five years, and silently hoped that Penny knew what she was doing. Finding the Father was going to be a big challenge in that place.

The thought reminding him of Penny, he propped himself up against the back of the back seat, looking down to find Penny still fast asleep, obviously still recovering from yesterday's events. Bolt, on the other hand, had desperately tried to stay awake, tried to continue to watch out for Penny, keep an eye out for any sign of those black cars that Calico's men used. But he, too, had been overcome by the day's events, and soon fallen asleep. He hated himself for it, knowing he had, for that night, left both himself and Penny vulnerable to attack. He had to protect Penny at all costs, for he was, quite simply, nothing without her. Without his person to guide him, he had no drive, and no purpose. Bolt just did not know what he would do without Penny. Yet, despite his guilt at having fallen asleep, he knew that the rest had revitalised him, left him full of energy, ready to help Penny in whatever way he could today.

But what exactly was he helping Penny do? He knew that Penny wished to rescue the Father, but Bolt had the distinct impression that there was something else, some hidden drive inside Penny...that suggested she had another aim in this adventure they were embarking on. Bolt could not yet place it, his mind was still learning, still growing accustomed to it's new-found intelligence. But he decided it was not important. Penny was all that mattered...her safety was Bolt's mission, whatever Penny's may be.

"Oh, hey Bolt!" Larry called from the driver's seat, grabbing Bolt's attention. "You're awake, huh?"

Bolt could tell by the tone in Larry's voice that Larry was just making conversation for the sake of it, and that he had no idea that Bolt could now understand fairly clearly what he was saying, even if he did not understand it word-for-word. Larry went on talking absently with Bolt for a few minutes, before the SUV once more settled into silence as they made their closer to Highton, Bolt's mind returning to his growing powers.

If the presence in his mind was stronger, then so were his powers. But in what ways? Bolt knew there was no other way to find out than to experiment, but he knew it would have to wait. The vehicle was not the best place to test his new-found abilities, and he definitely should not try whilst in the presence of anyone other than Penny. Larry and Kate had taken a long time to get over Bolt's display yesterday, Larry nearly crashing the car several times as Penny had been forced to explain what had happened to him. Even now, the next morning, Bolt noticed Larry occasionally glancing in the rear view mirror, looking at Bolt as if he was going to start glowing and do amazing things. Bolt forced back a laugh at the thought, trying to keep his train of thought on track. Would his powers ever stop growing? And if not, what would come of such frightening power? Would he be able to control the presence in his mind, or would it take him over? Bolt cringed at the thought of doing things against his own will if the presence took him over, and silently vowed to start fighting this presence if it grew too much.

But the thought had left Bolt with a new problem. If this presence did decide to become a problem, it meant that he and Penny would be facing two separate enemies...and they were already struggling to stay ahead of one! And if he did have to fight away the presence, Bolt would be left with no powers...no way of protecting Penny. Sure, he had his teeth and his claws, but against the armies Calico seemed to be massing against them, they were worth nothing. One way or another, Bolt needed this presence to continue empowering him, at least until Calico was dealt with. Bolt allowed himself a sly smile at the last thought. Once he found Calico...the evil human would not know what hit him! Bolt allowed his mind to play a visual image of Calico cowering beneath him, begging for mercy. Bolt knew that, when the time came, he would show no mercy...people with such vile ambitions and desires simply did not deserve any.

Bolt's thoughts continued along in his desire for revenge until they reached the outskirts of the city, Larry pulling the SUV off the highway and bringing it to a stop, leaning back and shaking Penny lightly, trying to wake her up. Her reaction was quick and violent.

"Bolt!" she yelled, leaping up to a sitting position, looking around wildly. Bolt instantly leapt onto the back seat, coming up beside her. "I'm here, Penny. It's fine..."

Penny looked down at Bolt for a moment, before looking around, calming down slightly when she recognised the car. "Where are we?" she finally asked when she had stretched and yawned.

"We're at Highton, Penny," Larry replied. The look on his face suggested to Bolt that he wanted to say more, but did not know exactly how to say it. There seemed to be a lingering guilt on the man's face, like he did not want to do whatever it was he was doing.

"So..." Penny looked around, Bolt following her example. What startled the Shepherd the most was the bland nature of the area around them. There was not a single tree, or even leaf, all around them. The whole area was made up of nothing more than construction sites, sidewalks, and roads. It was a maze of concrete, steel, glass and asphalt. Bolt was amazed that humans could live in such a bleak place. As he continued to stare at this strange new world, Penny turned back to Larry. "...this is where you leave, isn't it?"

Larry opened his mouth to speak, but stopped. He did not seem to be able to admit the obvious truth. Finally he sighed, hanging his head. "Yeah...yeah, it is."

Penny did not respond, but sat there for a moment, seemingly thinking. Bolt looked back at her, more to pull his eyes away from the gloomy city around them than because he was worried for Penny. He knew what was happening, and knew that Penny, although she looked sad, was dealing with it in her own way. This was one battle Penny could more than deal with on her own.

Finally she decided there was no point in waiting any longer. She reached over Bolt's body, and opened the back door on his side, signalling to him that he should get out of the SUV. Bolt obliged, jumping down onto the sidewalk, before turning back and waiting as Penny climbed out herself, shutting the door behind her, before heading over to the front window. "Thank you, Larry...I mean it."

"I just wish I could do more," Larry replied, before stopping. "Wait!" He reached into his glove box, fumbling around for a moment, before popping back up, a large, folded sheet of paper in his hand. "Take this...it's a map of Highton. I used when I was still learning my way around the city. I marked Calico's building on it...it should help you."

"Thank you," Penny said as she took the map. "And you've done more than enough. Now go."

"Penny, are you - "

"Just go, Larry!" Penny cried, pulling away from the window. "You've helped me enough, me and Bolt can deal with it from here. Go, hide Kate...and the baby!"

"I just..." Larry finally caved in. "Find Richard, Penny. Find him for me."

"I will," Penny replied, Bolt watching on as Larry wound up the window, before putting the SUV into gear and, with one last look at the two of them, finally driving off, heading back for the highway, waving behind him as he went. Penny waved back, although Bolt could tell that her heart wasn't in it. He knew as well as Penny did, that they would almost certainly never see Larry or Kate ever again.

Bolt finally shook his head, clearing it of the sad, dark thoughts. They had a mission; they could not sit here, wallowing over lost friends any longer. He looked around, trying to get some indication of where they were, and where they needed to go. It did not take him long to notice a large cluster of extremely tall buildings across the road, and off in the near distance, from where they currently were. _That must be the city itself,_ Bolt realised, immediately heading across the road, towards it. He stopped mere seconds later when he noticed that Penny was not following him. He turned back, seeing that she was still standing on the sidewalk, staring off at the end of the road where Larry had disappeared down. She was worrying for the man, Bolt realised. He wanted to comfort her, but they just did not have time. They needed to find Calico now, before something happened. "Penny, come on!"

Bolt's voice had it's intended effect; it pulled Penny out of her downcast stupor, and she turned to face Bolt. But as she made to follow him, she seemed to realise something, and her head turned wildly back down the road. Bolt watched in confusion as her eyes bulged, her face going from sad to sheer terror in the blink of an eye.

The loud screech of tyres a moment later told Bolt why. He spun, looking down the road to the source of the sound, to see a small car speeding towards him, even as the driver hit the brakes and desperately tried to stop the car in time. Bolt's mind, and body, froze in the face of such a problem. The only though that seemed to be able to run through his mind was that the car was not going to stop in time...it was going to hit him!

And as the car, still doing at least 30 miles an hour, screech across those final yards, Bolt simply closed his eyes and retreated into his mind, praying that it would be over quickly, as he heard Penny cry out to him...

_Crunch!_


	18. Chapter 17: Excessive Force

**Chapter 17**

**Excessive Force**

"BOLT!"

It was the only word, and the only thought, that crossed Penny's mind as she saw the car moving in what appeared to Penny to be slow-motion, on an unavoidable collision course with Bolt. And there was nothing she could do. She was still on the sidewalk, and even as she dashed out onto the road, she knew it was already over, that Bolt had no chance...

But when car and dog collided, the impossible happened.

With an almighty crash that sounded like the end of the world, the car hit Bolt doing at least 25 miles an hour...and stopped. the entire front end of the vehicle caved in, crumpling spectacularly, little pieces of it flying away. The back end of the car lifted almost two feet into the air, determined to keep moving, before it eventually gave in and thumped back to the ground. The entire car had buckled slightly with the force of the impact, having come to a stop so suddenly. But Penny did not notice any of this...her focus was entirely on Bolt.

The White Shepherd, for his part, had been blasted back away from the car, flying for over ten yards, before crashing to the ground once more, rolling several times, and finally coming to rest, no sign of movement or life in his body. Despite the horrific spectacle he had been a victim of, there was no sign of any physical injury to his body. There were no cuts, no bruises, no blood. But Penny's panic ignored this as she ran out towards him, calling his name over and over, before reaching side and collapsing to her hands and knees, pulling him into her arms. "Bolt! Come on, boy, not now...not after all this!" She shook him, desperately trying to get him to wake up, continuing to silently pray that he was okay, that he was alive...

Then Bolt finally did stir, growling softly in what seemed to be a pained groan. Penny pulled her friend closer at the sound and looked into his white, furry face. "Come on, Bolty. That's it, get up! You're okay..." she started laughing half-heartedly in utter relief as Bolt slowly came to his senses, dazed and aching, but not seriously hurt. When Bolt finally reached up and licked her face, she burst into joyous laughter as she hugged Bolt, determined to keep him as close as possible after nearly losing him like that.

But how had he survived? The answer came to Penny quickly now that her initial panic was gone; his powers! But that only caused Penny to frown a moment later. He had not been strong enough to do that previously. She remembered back to the fight inside Joe's pet store, and how Bolt had nearly been undone by a simple shelf of pet products. And yet now, he could stop a ton of metal without serious injury. And then Penny came to the realisation; _His powers are growing!_

It did not take Penny long to see the implications of such a prospect. As Bolt became stronger, and - according to Richard's report - smarter, over time, he would become only more and more dangerous to Calico, and his organisation. Her rescue mission, which had seemed so silly and futile last night, was suddenly looking a lot more feasible. She may just have a chance to win this, to get her father back! And when she did...

Bolt's single bark brought her back, and Penny suddenly remembered where she was. She looked around wildly, seeing if anyone had seen the crash. But they were in the middle of what appeared to be a developing area, and there were no construction workers around to witness the crash. No, it was just her, Bolt, and the driver...who was the problem. Penny looked up at the wrecked car, noticing the driver was slumped against the driver's side window, dazed but okay. His seatbelt was on, and his airbag had deployed, which left Penny relieved. But at the same time, she knew that she could not afford to be involved in something like, as it would just slow her down, and bring unwanted attention to her and Bolt. Deciding on her course of action, she grabbed Bolt, and carrying his massive bulk as best she could, moved quickly away from the car, heading down a few roads until she considered herself a safe distance, before hiding in an under-construction office block, the basic frame of the lower floors the only thing done so far.

She finally put Bolt down, the Shepherd immediately jumping away, variously stretching and shaking, recovering from the crash. Penny felt slightly guilty about just leaving the man there, but she had no choice. If she wanted to save her father, she had to be a ghost, she could not afford to attract any attention. She pushed aside her guilt quickly, knowing she was going to have to learn to control her emotions better if she wanted to go through with this.

But what exactly was _this_, anyway? She knew she wanted to save her father, since she needed him. She could not survive on her own. But her desire to get revenge on Calico for ruining her life, her father's life, and Bolt's life, was getting stronger with each passing minute. She wanted to bring him, and his company, to their knees, make them feel the despair of losing everything, of going from having everything you could possibly want, to having nothing, and being forced to live a life of fear and uncertainty. And while Penny knew that her plan would destroy Calico's plans for power, she could not help but feel that it was not enough. She needed to bring the entire company down, as well...make Calico lose _absolutely everything_.

But she pushed the away, to the back of her mind. Such thoughts and desires would only see her become Calico's next victim. She needed to control herself, and focus on getting Richard back. That was all she had to do...that would have to be enough. _Besides,_ she thought slyly. _That would destroy Calico's dreams right there and then anyway!_ She smiled, allowing herself to accept that as a very desirable outcome, before deciding it was time to start doing something.

But as she tried to plan her next move, her stomach growled loudly. _Figures,_ she thought dryly, as she realised that she had only eaten twice in the past day, and her last meal had been rather cold take-out last night, which had not been very satisfying, particularly since she had been woken up to eat it, and spend the entire meal on the verge of drifting off. But she sighed in resignation; she was going to eat nothing but take-out for some time yet, she knew. Her adventure was not going to allow her to settle back and have a proper meal.

Despite her misgivings about food, twenty minutes later she found herself outside a McDonald's restaurant, sharing a large burger meal with Bolt, who was tied, via the leash hidden in her scooter, to a light post, for appearances sake. Bolt may have been accepted as a highly obedient dog in Silverlake, but Penny doubted people would be so accepting here in Highton. She continued to let him roam free when they were walking, as she hated tying him up, but when they were outside some building that did not allow dogs, Penny had no choice, particularly if she was going in for something. If Bolt followed her in, it would once again attract attention she simply could not afford.

So she sat against the restaurant wall, munching away at her burger, while she studied the map of Highton Larry had given her. It was a couple of years old, and as such, some of the newer developing districts of the city were not on it, but it would serve her purposes well enough. As Larry had said, a black circle had been marked on the map, showing the location of Calico's facility. It was right in the heart of the city, amongst the tallest skyscrapers. That could only mean that there would be people...and lots of them. _So much for secrecy,_ Penny thought sourly, looking for how to get to the facility. She struggled to find her location for a moment, since she had come from the developing district of the city. She eventually found her restaurant, on the eastern borders of the city, across a large river from the city itself. A lone, large bridge provided the only access from one side to the other.

When she had finally found her route into the city, Penny slumped further down the wall she was resting against, putting her head in her hands as she left the rest of her food for Bolt. She could tell, from what she had planned, that today was going to be very unpleasant. And her plan left her trying to infiltrate an immensely secretive facility in the heart of the area's largest city, where there were bound to be thousands of people. Penny knew that what she was going to do, whatever it ended up being, would not be met well with the local police department, and as such, she needed to stay hidden, and avoid attracting attention to herself until she was well out of sight of any bystanders. Her plan seemed doomed to failure in any outcome: Either she got caught, and joined her father in whatever fate Calico had planned for them, or she got away...only to suffer the wrath of the authorities. But she had to do it...she had only been in this mess for less than a day, and already she felt like she was going insane without her father's guidance and protection. She was always told that she acted years ahead of her age, but right now, she felt like a toddler being thrust into the world...alone. She knew that if she had to endure this feeling of inadequacy and hopelessness for a few more days, she would end up wandering the streets as a raving loon, simply awaiting her demise.

And with those horrific thoughts, her mind, once again, was set firmly in place. Looking down, and noticing that Bolt had finished his food, she finally stood, untying Bolt and returning the leash to its place inside her scooter, before grabbing the scooter itself, and unfolding the collapsible object, the scooter transforming from a steel brick to a compact, shining vehicle in seconds. As she switched on the scooter's tiny, but powerful engine, she looked west, towards the city centre. She knew the risks...she knew the danger...but she also knew the reward, and the promise of life it held. Calling to Bolt she finally gunned the engine, her scooter zipping off towards Highton, Bolt right behind her, beginning what she knew was going to be a long, hard day.


	19. Chapter 18: Calico Technology

**Chapter 18**

**Calico Technology**

Penny's hopes of saving her father faded when she reached the Calico Technology building, right in the heart of Highton. Beneath her jumper's hood, her face fell, her entire body slumping slightly on the scooter.

She was standing across the road from the entrance to the building, her scooter purring idly beneath her feet, staring at the steel and glass front entrance to Calico Technology, Bolt right by her side, as always. What had Penny so crushed was the presence of several men in business suits watching the entrance like federal security guards from the movies: Security guards. There was absolutely no way she was getting in via the main - and only - entrance. Calico's agents would most likely have been shown pictures of her, and had been told to stop her at all costs if she tried to get into the facility. And aside from the group outside, Penny could see many more guards inside the main lobby. The only way she was ever going to get in was if she allowed Bolt to free his powers, and smash his way in...which was unacceptable under the circumstances. Such a raw display of power, from a small White Shepherd, would only attract massive, unwanted attention...attention Penny could not afford. If she was going to save her father, she needed to do it quietly.

As if he had read her thoughts, Bolt chose this moment to growl at the building, having obviously noticed the men around and inside it looked a lot like the men that had tried to kill Penny on the highway yesterday. "No, Bolt!" Penny commanded, causing Bolt to stop growling immediately, the white face looking up at her questioningly. "No, not today. We need to do this quietly." She looked back at the building, looking for any sort of side entrance, ventilation shaft...anything that would let her access the building without being noticed.

But it was not long before Penny realised it was hopeless. What she really needed to know was if her father, or Calico, were even in the building. If they had decided to move Richard somewhere else, then there was simply no point in trying to infiltrate the building at all. She felt behind her back, touching her backpack, thinking about the binoculars hidden inside. The radar feature hidden inside those would be perfect! But she stopped herself from grabbing the binoculars right there and then. Again, such advanced, strange technology would only run the risk of attracting attention once again. She needed a safe, secluded place where she could sit back and study the building without running the risk of being disturbed, preferably several floors high, so she could get a good look at the higher levels.

Again, Bolt seemed to read her thoughts. He barked grabbing Penny's attention. She looked down to see what he wanted, but he was staring in another direction, looking up and behind Penny, away from Calico Technology. Penny followed his gaze, noticing that the building behind them was actually a large, multi-story parking lot for an adjacent hotel. The lot was not very large, but it rose over ten stories into the air. Calico's building was much taller, somewhere between thirty and forty by Penny's estimates, but the extra height the lot offered would still allow her to get a good view of the building top-most floors. To top it all off, Penny knew that the upper levels of the parking would almost certainly be deserted, so she would be almost completely assured of secrecy.

Amazed, she looked back down at Bolt, who was now staring at Penny, with what appeared to be a self-satisfied look on his face. _He's still getting smarter...his powers are still growing,_ she realised, smiling back at her companion, tousling his fur in appreciation. She knew that, at this rate, it would not be long before Bolt would be so intelligent he would be a match for any human...if only he could talk. Penny sighed in mild frustration. _Of all the powers you gave him, dad, you didn't let him talk!_ Casting the thought aside, but making a mental note to ask Richard when she finally rescued him, she praised Bolt once more, before setting off into the parking lot, smiling inwardly as she made her way to the top. So far, things were going well; her plan was beginning to work itself out, and she had not attracted any attention from the city-goers. If the rest of the day turned out in the same fashion, she should have little problem getting her father back.

And as Penny had expected, the roof of the lot was abandoned, no-one willing to risk their car with exposure to the elements when they could still keep it under cover. And since Penny had noticed that the level below her was also mostly deserted, she knew that she would not be disturbed up here. She walked along the concrete and asphalt until she reached the edge of the lot that looked out towards Calico's building, before dropping her backpack on the ground, reaching into it and pulling her binoculars out, leaning against the concrete railing as Bolt used an abandoned suitcase trolley from the hotel to see over the railing as well.

"Now, let's see how these things work," Penny whispered as she put the binoculars to her eyes, looking over at Calico's building. The binoculars simply acted as any other pair would, magnifying the side of the building several times over, giving her nothing but a closer view of shining glass and metal that rose high above her. Remembering the instruction her father had left with the binoculars, Penny opened a side compartment on the binoculars, which contained a thin wire that was connected to a small ear bud, which she placed in her ear, before pressing a button on the opposite side. With a motorised whir, a small radar dish popped out from the top of the binoculars, rapidly unfurling before pointing towards the front of the binoculars, as Penny put them back to her eyes.

But there was no change. She still saw nothing but the reflective glass windows of the facility, although now there was a small display in the corner of her view, telling her the range the radar and listening device were currently set to. The real change occurred when she fiddled with these ranges. She extended both of them outwards, and as they zipped up past fifty yards, Penny gasped in amazement.

The outer wall of the building simply vanished away, the radar penetrating through it, allowing her to see clean through the side of building, and into the rooms beyond. Not only that, but the radar's listening device allowed her to actually hear what was going on in the room she was staring at as well. She trained the binoculars over various rooms, giggling like a toddler as she started listening in on various, meaningless conversations occurring inside the building. But after a few moments, she pulled herself together. She could have fun with these later, when her father was safe once more. Now she started searching through the building for any sign of her father, hoping that she would finally spot his ridiculous shock of brown hair, that would give her the hope she needed.

But what she found instead was almost as good.

As she started scanning higher floors, she eventually came across a conference room, which was in the process of being used. But it was the man who was on a video screen that encompassed an entire wall of the room that got Penny's attention. He looked middle aged, possibly in his late forties, with slicked back black hair that was in the early stages of greying. He was immensely lanky, roughly six feet high but exceptionally lightly built. He had a hard, serious face, like someone who had a mission, and was used to being in control of a situation that seemed to be slipping from his grasp. He wore the same black business suit as many of the men in the building, the only difference being that the usual black tie had been replaced with a sickly green one.

But two features Penny saw allowed her to identify the man. One was the cat that accompanied the man. It was almost a animalistic copy of the man, black and gangly, with an aura of power surrounding it. It sat proudly on the man's shoulder, looking at everything around it, occassionaly purring contently. But the final feature was much more gruesome. While his right eye was a cold, icy blue, his left eye was a sickly shade of green. But it was not just the iris, the _entire eye_ had turned green, and now had a vertical, cat-like pupil. That feature alone left Penny with no doubt as to who she was looking at.

It was Doctor Calico himself, head of Calico Technology...and responsible for everything that had gone wrong with her life right now. "It's him," she whispered, looking at Bolt. "It's Calico!" Bolt seemed to get the message, and growled at the building menacingly as Penny put the binoculars back to her eyes, focusing back on the conference room.

There were only two other people in the room with the video feed of Calico. One was a huge, dark-skinned man, who looked rather odd with his massive, muscular body stuffed into a business suit, particularly with the intricate tattoo that covered the back of his head, and the round glasses that covered his eyes. He aired the same feeling of power that Calico did, but for completely different reasons. Calico's power was centred around his uncompromising and dark personality, whereas this man simply looked like he could break through a brick wall with nothing but a finger. Penny froze when she looked at the second man...she had seen him before! He was like the dark-skinned man, expect his skin was pale. He was made entirely of muscle, and looked like he only needed two fingers to crush the life out of someone...it was the man that had nearly killed Penny back at her house, the one that Bolt had thrown around the house like a ragdoll! It seemed that he had survived that encounter, and was back working for Calico again.

The initial shock of the one-sided reunion over, Penny quickly recalibrated the listening device, until she could clearly hear voices in the conference room.

" - just happened to escape your grasp?" It was Calico who spoke, his British accent running heavily through his voice.

"It was that damn dog!" the man from Penny's house replied, his deep voice mixed with fear and frustration. "That dog of the girl's has super-powers or something! I lost two of my men to that mutt...how was I supposed to know that!"

"Bruce has got a point, Doctor," the dark-skinned man agreed. "You did not tell us that Richard had already empowered the dog when you told me to track the daughter down. I had simply assumed that the girl would be helpless, and so only sent a small group after her."

"And the town?" Calico demanded, anger filling his lopsided eyes. "I told you to search the town if complications arose. How did she escape the town?"

It was Bruce who answered. "I searched the town for her once I'd regained my senses, and I did find one of our cars crashed on the highway. No survivors. It seems that the girl had help, and has escaped town."

"It must have been that storekeeper...Joe, that you mentioned earlier, Marcus," Calico mused. "But you say he's vanished, and you're spread thin enough as it is. No, I feel certain that the girl and her dog are alone now. And it doesn't matter, anyway, that she escaped. If the stories some of our workers have about Richard's little Penny are true, she'll most likely come find us. This minor setback it just that, and nothing more...everything's positioning nicely! I want you to recall any search teams back to the city...I feel that we may have need of them soon." Calico grinned knowingly at Marcus, which left Penny worried. Did they know she was here already? No, Penny forced herself to think rationally. If they knew she was in town, they would already have sent teams out to get her. But they did know that she was aiming to strike at them, which meant that she had to be extra careful.

Marcus leant back in his chair. "What about you, Doctor? Has our guest spilled his guts yet?"

"Oh, not yet," Calico said, smiling. "But they will...one way, or another." As he spoke, he moved to the side of the video, revealing a man strapped to a chair behind him, in some sort of room that was plunged into complete darkness. Penny could see the man's wild hair and short beard, and knew it was her father instantly.

"Dad!" she cried, pressing the binoculars harder against her eyes, knowing she could do nothing more than watch and see what happened.

"I'll never talk, Calico!" Richard cried defiantly, even as the black cat on Calico's shoulder hissed at him. "You'll never get your way!"

Calico turned back towards Richard, frowning. "Your defiance was amusing, professor...at least initially. But now it's just beginning to irk me. But you will talk, once we get our package delivered." He turned back to Marcus. "Speaking of which, Marcus, has the package arrived yet? I think it's time we made our friend her a bit more...communicative!"

Marcus smiled and nodded. "It just arrived in the city now. I'm sending an agent to pick it up." At this, he nodded at Marcus, who pulled his suit more comfortably over his shoulders, and donned a pair of sunglasses.

"Gorgeous!" Calico exclaimed, before turning to Bruce. "Bring it to me on the first flight. And Bruce...do not fail me again!"


	20. Chapter 19: The Package

**Chapter 19**

**The Package**

Penny pulled the binoculars away from her eyes, absently packing them back into her pack as she thought about everything she had just heard and seen.

Now she knew. Now she knew for certain that they had her father. But where? If Calico was contacting Marcus via a video link, then that could only mean that Richard had been taken somewhere else...he was not in Highton. Penny's plan had just come crashing down all around her. Where could Calico possibly have taken Richard? The two of them could be anywhere in the world by now...there was simply no way of finding them.

But then Penny remembered the end of the meeting, and the 'package' Calico had specified. What was it? Obviously Calico believed that, whatever it was, it would make her father reveal the secrets Calico was after, which Penny remembered from her father's notes and messages was the details of Bolt's alterations. Whatever this package was, Penny realised, it was extremely important to Calico...which meant that he could not have it!

But as Penny tried to think of a way to stop the delivery of the package, she realised the important truth: That package was destined to be hand-delivered to Calico...and therefore to Richard! Penny had just found her solution...a way to find where Calico and her father were hiding! There was still hope!

Penny's hope surged through her, driving her into action. She grabbed her backpack and took off, whistling for Bolt to follow, sprinting back down the parking lot. This agent - Bruce - was going to collect the package right now! She had to get back down to Calico's building before Bruce left, so she could follow him. If she lost track of him now, it was over...her rescue mission would be done. She was hanging by a thread...and she knew it. But the desperation kept her going, even as her breath came in ragged gasps and her legs began to burn.

She finally dashed out of the parking lot, and back onto the street, where she stopped, taking a moment to catch her breath, not bothered by the people giving her strange looks as they walked by. She no longer cared about drawing attention to herself, she just had to find Bruce before he got the package. once she was no longer gasping for air, she looked up at the entrance to Calico's facility...just in time to see Bruce's bulky frame walk out the front doors, striding off purposefully down the street. He looked around himself occasionally, as if worried about someone following him, and at one point Penny could have sworn the man looked right at her. But he kept on walking, Penny sighing with relief as she walked down her side of the road, watching him carefully as she did. She did not have to wait long, as Bruce went straight down a narrow alleyway right beside the Calico building, disappearing down it as Penny gave chase, crossing the road at the first safe opportunity, now moving a little more carefully as she approached the alleyway. She could not afford to give herself away, not after how far she had come, and certainly not now, when she was so close!

Finally she reached the alleyway, and peered around the corner just in time to see Bruce disappear down the other end of it, turning back towards the back of the Calico facility. Turning around to make sure Bolt was still beside her, Penny followed, keeping her head low as she ducked from dumpster to dumpster along the alleyway, eventually reaching the opposite side. She turned once more back to Bolt, who looked up at her eagerly, obviously delighted by the fact that they would finally confront one of Calico's men on their own terms, rather than running from various ambushes and traps. Penny ruffled Bolt's fur, nodding to him. "Okay, boy...let's go!" And with that she darted out from the alleyway, moving into a larger, wider one, that stretched along behind Calico's building, and all the other buildings on the block, until it reached a road off to Penny's left side. On her right side was nothing but a solid brick wall.

But the large alleyway was empty. There was no sign of Bruce, nor anyone else, in the alley. Penny quickly checked all around her, but there were no doors into any of the nearby buildings. There were only two ways in or out of the alley; the smaller alley Penny and Bolt had just come through, and the exit back out onto the road. Penny looked around, utterly bewildered. _Where'd he go?_ She moved further into the alley, trying to find some sort of escape route that Bruce must have taken...and in doing so made her ultimate mistake.

With a loud grinding sound, a large steel block slid out from the side of Calico's facility, sliding rapidly into place across the entrance to the smaller alleyway, slamming home with a dull thud, blocking Penny's only escape from the alley. She ran for the blockage, but it was no use. The plate was at least twenty feet high, and made of solid metal...there was no way of getting around it, or through it. In that moment, Penny realised that the whole thing...the meeting, the package, everything...was a ruse. It had all been an elaborate trap! In that moment, she saw it all. Bruce had indeed seen her on the street, because that was the point, she was always meant to follow him! There was no package for one simple reason...she was the package!

Penny spun to face the road, easily a hundred yards away, thinking about running for it. But before she could even think of running, one of Calico's prized Sonic cars came rumbling around the corner and into the alleyway, completely blocking it. No escape. She could not see through the tinted windshield, but she knew that it was Bruce driving it. And now he had her perfectly cornered. Penny took a step backwards, away from the car, but she knew that there was nothing but a solid brick wall behind her. There was nowhere to go, no more places to run. It was over.

But as she lost all hope, and resigned herself to her fate, Bolt moved forward, positioning himself protectively in front of Penny, growling savagely at the car in front of him. Penny looked at Bolt curiously, before realising what he intended to do. "Bolt, no!"

But she was too slow. As she darted after Bolt, reaching out to try and stop him, he took off, charging down the alley, straight for the massive sedan as it, too, shot off the mark. As Penny chased after Bolt, she realised that while Calico intended on capturing her, he seemed to have no such ideas with Bolt. If the dog got in the way, he was to be taken out. But even as Penny ran, she slowed down...there was simply no point, Bolt was too fast. She remember the incident with the car from this morning, and wondered if there was even a chance of Bolt stopping this car. Fear and dismay coursed through her as she realised there was little chance of that happening. The car Bolt had stopped this morning was much smaller and lighter, and even that one had knocked Bolt out for a minute. But there was nothing she could do, except continue running, and pray that Bolt had the power to at least survive...

But Bolt seemed completely unaffected by the danger of the situation, as he kept running as fast as his normal body would go, all his efforts seemed to be centred on focusing his power on taking the impact that was sure to come. The car, on the other hand, sped down the alleyway, rapidly gaining speed, easily doing 30 miles, and accelerating! The two mismatched foes continued charging each other headlong; black and white; machine and animal, both hell-bent on destroying the other. Bolt finally lowered his head as the two came within a second from collision, Penny finally stopping as she watched the two shoot closer and closer...

_Crash!_

Penny watched in astounded amazement as Bolt flipped his head up as he hit the car, the move causing the massive black vehicle to flip upwards as it crashed into Bolt who, despite his size, did not seem to have a problem using his strength to defy the car's force...and the laws of physics. The car's nose sailed high into the air, the rear end having no choice but to follow, the car launching through the air, doing a strange, slow backflip as it sailed over Bolt's head. It turned on it's roof as it passed over Penny, who watched it, her mouth gaping as the sedan finally came crashing back to earth several yards behind her, roof first, with a loud metallic crunch, glass clattering as a couple of the reinforced windows shattered. The car, however, retained its basic shape, thanks to what must have been a heavily strengthened design.

Penny stared at the car for several moments, before turning back to Bolt, who was busy straching his head, which must have felt terrible after such a feat. Once the Shepherd was done, he came back to Penny's side, smiling up at her, proud of his ability to save her from what must have been a foolproof trap to Calico. "Don't do that again, Bolt!" she cried, although there was no anger in her voice. "Don't ever put yourself in harm's way like that again! But thank you, anyway." She gave Bolt a quick pat, before turning back to the car. _It's time to get some answers!_

Penny wandered over to the car, kneeling down beside the passenger side window, trying to figure out how to get the driver's attention. She eventually turned to Bolt, signalling for his attention, before tapping the door. "Open it up, boy." She sat back and waited, hoping Bolt's new-found intelligence would allow him to understand what she wanted him to do.

Bolt looked up at her for a brief second, seemingly taking in Penny's words, before finally moving to the car, grabbing the twisted and broken door in his teeth, before pulling hard, the door snapping cleanly out of the mangled frame as if it was made of cardboard. Bolt held it for a moment, before finally tossing it aside casually, moving back to Penny's side as she praised him, before once more turning her attention to the car.

Sure enough, it was indeed Bruce in the driver's seat of the vehicle, and amazingly, he was still strapped in, hanging upside down in his seat, the air bag pressed against his cheek as he struggled to face Penny. "What do you want?" he asked irritably.

Penny paused, a series of conflicting emotions grappling her, fighting for control. Exactly what did she want from this man? She wanted her father, but at the same time, she fought with her desire for revenge against Calico. She desperately wanted to beat the head of the company to a pulp, and on top of that, she wanted to beat this man up, too. Twice now, this man had attempted to kill both her and Bolt, and Penny desperately wanted to return the favour. But she fought with her emotions, and after a moment, managed to bring them under control. Petty revenge plots would not get her anywhere...and would most certainly not get her father back. "Where's my father?" she finally demanded.

Bruce simply laughed in response. "How the hell should I know?" he replied defiantly.

"Then where's Calico?" Penny retorted quickly. She was in no mood to play games. She had just avoided another trap, and had her rescue plan torn to pieces.

"I'm not talking to you...girl!" Bruce snapped, turning away from her, trying to end the conversation there and then.

Penny grumbled, turning away and thinking. She needed to get Bruce to talk, to reveal Calico's position. Since Richard was with Calico, finding one would lead her straight to the other. But how to get him talking? After several moments, Penny could only think of threatening the man...but she detested that option. She had already, through Bolt, been responsible for the death of several of Calico's men, and her conscience was already stretched thin. There was no way she going to kill this man...but neither could she abandon her father. She had come too far now to back down now. In the end, she came to only one option: She had to bluff, give the man a false threat, and hope that he took the bait.

Smiling, she turned back to Bruce. "Listen to me, Bruce!" She smiled wider at the bulky man's shock. "Yes, I know who you are. Now, I know that you know where Calico, and trust me, my dog can make your life miserable if you don't tell me what I want to hear!"

Bruce passed off his shock quickly, and called her bluff. "You couldn't possibly! You're just a girl!"

Penny paused for a moment before responding. "Maybe...but Bolt is more powerful than you can possibly imagine!" With that, she turned to Bolt. She had to instil a very real sense of danger in the man's mind if her bluff was going to be believed. "Bolt, pick him up!"

Once again, Bolt displayed an understanding of her beyond what Penny could possibly have imagined just two days ago. He immediately grinned, before moving up right next to the car, grabbing a piece of the chassis in his mouth, before pouring all of his power into his strength, and lifted the car off the ground, holding it high above him, although it was obvious to Penny that it required some effort on the Shepherd's part.

But, as Penny looked up at Bruce, she knew she had provoked the desired effect from him. He was obviously panicking, his eyes bulging as he tried to unstrap himself from the seat belt. But the belt was jammed, and would not come free. "Now..." Penny continued, forcing her voice to stay hard and fierce. "Calico...where is he?"

"I...I have no idea!" Bruce yelled, but his entire face gave him away...he was lying.

"You're lying! Bolt..."

"Okay, okay!" Bruce finally cracked, flailing around wildly. "Okay! I'll tell you what I know, just get that mutt to put me down!"

Penny pretended to consider the man's plea for a brief moment, before sighing and turning to Bolt. "Okay, boy, put him down." Bolt responded by dropping the car, which crashed back to Earth none too gently. Penny winced at the loud bang, before scolding Bolt lightly for his carelessness. She needed this man to remain unharmed. After ensuring that Bolt had gotten her message, the dog looking only mildly guilty, Penny returned to the car, finding Bruce still in his seat, still unhurt, although now visibly shaking. Whatever he had feared Bolt would do to him, it had worked. Bruce had been broken...he was ready to spill his secrets. "Now...Calico!"

"Look, girl, you have to understand, I'm just an agent in all this! I just follow Marcus' orders, do his work! I really don't know anything!" Bruce was very obviously panicking now, Penny watching as his eyes, visible behind his broken sunglasses, darting from her to Bolt with blinding speed. He obviously feared the same sort of retribution he would obviously face from Calico, which Penny realised must not have been pleasant. The man was truly evil if his men feared failure this greatly.

"You're 'just an agent', who knows where Calico's hiding," Penny corrected him, although her voice had now lost its harsh edge. "I need to know where he is."

"Okay, look, I once overheard Calico and Marcus talking yesterday, before they took that professor away."

Penny's eyes boggled. This was the break she may have been waiting for all along. "What did they say?" she demanded.

Bruce seemed to hesitate, looking back towards the building where Marcus was sitting, no doubt awaiting Bruce's report. "You don't understand, girl. Marcus will kill me if I - "

"By my reckoning, you've now failed him twice, so he's probably looking to kill you already," Penny said harshly, before deciding it might be better to try a softer approach to the agent. "But, if you tell me what you heard, I'll give you a chance to save yourself."

"I - " Bruce stopped, seemingly weighing up his options. After a few moments, he visibly sagged. Penny had won. "I didn't hear everything they said, but I do remember them mentioning something about taking the professor to a place they called 'The Bolivia Facility'. Calico, and the professor, must be there." He looked up at Penny pleadingly, as if trying to silently beg her to let him go.

"Where is this facility?" Penny finally asked. A facility name was useless without a location.

"I don't know!" Bruce cried, overcome with desperation. "But considering its name, I would say somewhere in Bolivia, which means you're going to have a hard time getting to him."

Penny had also come to the same conclusion, but it was not enough. She needed something more exact than a random country in South America if she was ever going to get to her father in time. "That's all you know?" she asked suspiciously.

"That's it! That's everything, I swear!" Bruce's panic returned with startling suddenness once he realised with he was no longer useful to Penny. "Please, girl, I'm begging you, I was just an agent! Please, don't let that dog kill me!"

Penny stared at the man, perplexed. It took her a few moments to realise that the man, for all his brutish nature, was actually afraid she'd give the order to Bolt to have him killed. Bolt seemed to understand this as well, and looked up at Penny, also awaiting her decision. But as Penny looked from Bolt to Bruce, weighing up her options, she saw something in Bolt's eyes that she did not like. On top of his unfathomable loyalty and desire to protect Penny, there was something a hidden, darker desire...a ravenous hunger for revenge against the people that had harmed his person, and a willingness to destroy anything in his path to get that revenge. Penny realised, with mild shock and fear, that Bolt, an animal born and bred on instinct, was not bound by any sense of morals or ethics...he struggled to feel any complex emotions such as remorse or pity...or mercy! Bolt was fast turning into a fierce, uncontrollable killing machine. If she let Bolt continue down this path, she knew it would only be a matter of time before he questioned his loyalty to Penny. If that happened, who knew what kind of destruction he could unleash upon the world?

Vowing to herself to do something about Bolt before going after Calico fully, she turned back to Bruce, deciding it was time to try and save one of Calico's men, now she had a solid chance. "Bruce, listen to me, and listen carefully. Calico has most likely lied to you. He is an evil man who thinks only of himself. Whatever he and Marcus have promised you, whatever they say you'll have, is a lie. Staying with such men will lead only to your death. I fight him because I have to save my father, but that does not mean I'm not heartless. You have a rare choice, here. And I strongly suggest you break away from Calico, and run. If you have any family, take them, find somewhere, and hide. Things around Calico are going to get very bad soon, and the less people that are hurt, the better I'll feel. So, once you get yourself out of this car, I want you to escape this city, and I want you to get away from Calico's organisation!" With that, Penny whistled for Bolt, and the two of them left the alleyway, leaving Bruce there, still strapped into the remains of his car, left to wonder at Penny's words, and make his own choice.


	21. Chapter 20: Chaos in Highton

**Chapter 20**

**Chaos in Highton**

Bolt looked back down the alleyway, staring at the broken car at the opposite end, watching it carefully.

_Why did Penny let the man go?_ Bolt could not help but wonder. If their mission was to oppose Calico, and stop his evil plan, then why did she save that man, Bruce. All it did was give him the chance to come back and get them again later. Anything any of Calico's men said were lies, and all of them deserved to die for the horrors they were unleashing upon the world!

But Bolt's thoughts were soon thrown off-track by Penny's voice. "Bolt, I can see what you're doing...stop!" In the end, it was not the words that stopped Bolt from attempting to heat-vision Bruce into oblivion...it was her tone. Penny seemed to be a whirlwind of conflicting emotions these past few days, but this time, Bolt could tell she was struggling to keep herself calm. Something was bothering her, Bolt realised. And it was something to do with him! "Bolt..." Penny knelt down beside him, placing a hand over his head. "We can't just blast through everyone who tries to stop us from rescuing dad...it's not right."

"What?" Bolt was seriously confused. It did not make any sense. They were supposed to stop Calico...without killing anyone who worked for him? It made no sense in Bolt's mind, and he looked up at Penny curiously, demanding a better explanation.

"Bolt, we can't," Penny repeated, more forcefully, which left Bolt slightly worried. Penny was rarely this dark and serious towards him. Whatever point she was trying to get across, it was very, very serious. "Just do what I say, and we'll do fine!"

Bolt looked back towards Bruce's broken vehicle, which the bulky man was finally struggling his way out of, then back to Penny, fighting a new internal battle between two conflicting instincts. First, was his life-long instinct to protect and follow Penny, the person responsible for his upbringing, and the very fact that he was alive today. But his new instinct to crush anything and anyone related in any way to Calico Technology was also strong, especially since it seemed to run paw-in-paw with his instinct to protect Penny. But he had also sworn, long ago, to himself that he would follow any command Penny gave him as closely as he possibly could. Now those desires; to protect Penny and to follow her instructions, were in direct violation of each other, so what to do? Did he disobey Penny to protect her...or did he follow Penny's guidance, and possibly leave her in grave danger?

But before he could come to a decision, Penny's voice called him once more. Looking up, she noticed her looking down the street. Following her gaze, Bolt could only sigh when he saw what his person was looking at. _When will they give up?_

There, amongst all the city traffic, a couple of hundred yards down the road, were three small motorbikes, painted in black with green trimming. Bolt growled when he saw an insignia on the front of them; a large, green cat's eye...Calico's symbol. Sure enough, the men riding the bikes wore Calico's now-recognisable suits, complete with the large, bug-eyed helmets this time around. Bolt quickly recognised the bikes from one of the pictures on Penny's phone, and knew that these bikes would have all kinds of extra tricks underneath their metal bodies.

"Come on, Bolt! We gotta go!" Penny said as she dived into her backpack, rapidly pulling out the scooter, the machine unfolding quickly, Penny not bothering with the helmet this time as Calico's men drew closer, Bolt watching them as Penny continued to prepare for the ride. She obviously intended to escape the city, now that she had the information she needed.

Finally, Bolt heard the scooter's engine buzz to life, and he turned back to Penny, who whistled for him to follow, before gunning the engine and zipping off, Bolt taking off after her, drawing on the power in his mind to help him keep up with her, a quick glance over his shoulder confirming that the bikes were very close behind them.

And with that, the chase began.

Bolt raced down the streets of Highton beside Penny, the two of them weaving in between the heavy afternoon traffic as the three Calico bikes closed in, their high-powered engines easily out-performing Penny's advanced, but inferior, scooter. The various cars and pedestrians honked and shouted at them, obviously reprimanding them for the daredevil antics, only to have their mouths drop in shock a moment later when they saw the three bikes. Bolt's blood - along with his power - pumped through him as he ran beside Penny, his mind racing, trying to think of a way out of this mess as they zipped through the streets, Penny's face screwed up as she tried desperately to focus on the road. If she slipped, or lost concentration for even the briefest of moments, a horrible crash was sure to follow.

_But how did they find us anyway?_ Bolt's mind asked as he snuck another glance over his shoulder, whining warningly at Penny when he saw that the bikes were now right behind them. But the answer was obvious to Bolt: They had been fooled right from the start in this mission. This was Calico's territory, and that meant that, right from the moment they had entered Highton's busy streets, they had been watched, tracked. That was how they were able to spring that trap in the alleyway, and that was how these three bikes were chasing them down now.

Penny was obviously thinking the same thing. "Bolt, we have to get out of the city! They can see..." Her voice trailed off as she looked over her left side, horrified. Bolt followed her gaze, looking past the scooter to see that one of the bikers had caught up, and had moved alongside Penny. As Bolt watched, the man released one of his hands from the handlebars of the bike, and Bolt's eyes widened when he saw that hand suddenly flare with electricity, glowing blue arcs of it jumping across the man's gloved fingertips. Bolt had no time to question how such a feat was possible, because the electric hand then reached out for Penny, trying to grab her, and stun her into submission. Before Bolt could do anything, however, Penny bunny-hopped the scooter aside, the man missing her cleanly, before being forced to break away from Penny to avoid a large car trundling down the road.

But within seconds he was back again, his hand already outstretched, ready to grab Penny once more. But the man froze for a second when he noticed Bolt was now between him and Penny. He had moved around Penny during the respite, and was now staring at the man fiercely, although he did not use his Heat-Vision power...he couldn't hold the immense concentration required for the power while he was moving like this. But in the brief second he had, Bolt did the only thing he could do...he jumped at the man. He sailed straight into the man's side, unleashing a vicious kick directly into the man's ribcage.

The biker never stood a chance. He was already unbalanced enough with only one hand on the handlebars, and Bolt's strength-infused kick proved to be the only blow Bolt needed. Screaming, the man could only watch in terror as he overbalanced on his bike, which wobbled slightly, before falling over sideways and crashing into the ground at high speed, before it cartwheeled high into the air, the man being flung from it like a rag doll. In the end, both bike and rider ended up on the sidewalk, both twisted and broken...both never to live again.

Bolt immediately regained his footing and balance on the road, and immediately caught back up to Penny, who was looking at him with a mix of gratitude, and yet, Bolt noticed, a lingering sense of dissapointment and...was it fear? But Bolt had no time to think about this, because the remaining two bikers chose that moment to attempt to avenge their fallen brother, and charged up to them, deciding to attack together, on either side of Penny.

"Uh-oh." Bolt looked from one side to the other as he ran behind Penny, not liking what he saw. He could take one of Calico's men at a time, and now he was faced with two! Bolt saw the truth in an instant; Penny would have to deal with one of them herself. He desperately tried to find a way to save Penny from this one, but before he could even begin to form a plan, the biker closest to him activated his electric hands. Out of time!

Bolt turned towards the biker, growling and making a fake leap at him, causing his bike to swerve away as the man panicked, having seen what happened to the first one. Bolt simply slipped back to the ground and moved back to Penny's side, watching what the biker had failed to see until now...his jump away from Bolt had moved him into the left lane of traffic...the oncoming lane. The biker looked forward once more, just in time to see a small car put its brakes on full lock, a second from impact. Calico's man simply screamed and shielded his eyes, both him and the car having no room to move in the tight confines of the city streets.

In the end, the second biker suffered the same fate as the first. Both him and the bike were launched into the air by the car, which managed to stop without too much harm, although it began to cause a traffic jam. In the end, the rider would land in the middle of the street over a hundred yards from the impact point, hurt but alive.

Satisfied that he had put that man out of the way, Bolt now turned back to his other side, to turn his attention to Penny and the last biker...only to find them gone! Still running down the city street, Bolt looked around desperately, trying to figure out where she could possibly have gone. It did not take long to find her, but when he did, fear rose in his stomach instantly. Penny had been forced by the last biker onto the sidewalk, and was struggling to stay away from the man, who continually made lunges for her with his electric hand, each one seeming to come closer and closer to actually reaching Penny.

Fury welled within Bolt at the complete lack of remorse these men held for Penny, nothing more than a girl to the rest of humanity, and any trace of remorse he may have had within him vanished as he called upon the full strength of his powers, using his new-found intelligence to hit the biker hard. As he passed a truck, Bolt leapt up and pushed off of the side of it, kicking off so hard the truck itself overbalanced and fell onto its side, causing an already messy situation to spiral into full-blown chaos. Bolt, on the other hand, had launched himself high into the air, sailing over the other cars and people, aiming straight for the last biker, who was right behind Penny, mere inches from reaching her and shocking her off of her scooter.

Bolt's aim was true. He landed straight on the man's helmet, all the while focusing his powers on his strength, so that they would protect him from the horrible landing that was going to follow. In the collision, both he and the biker were thrown clean off the bike, which skidded violently on the sidewalk, people diving out of its way, before it smashed into a light post and came to rest, ruined beyond repair. Bolt and the biker, together, went crashing to the pavement, rolling and tumbling together, before they both came to rest against the brick wall of a street-side shop, Bolt's power-enhanced body hitting it so hard he actually left a small crater in the wall, the bricks cracked and caved in.

But Bolt was still not satisfied. As onlookers began to crowd around him and the biker, he got to his feet, and noticed that the biker was still alive. With a savage snarl, Bolt picked the man up by his helmet, before swinging him around and finally hurling him against the brick wall, where he gave one last yell and slumped to the ground, dead. The crowds' murmurings grew louder at this startling show of strength, but Bolt had no interest in the crowds...his only focus right now was Penny, as he ran back out onto the road, looking to see where she had zipped off to while he had been dealing with that last biker.

But there was no sign of her...Penny was gone. "No!" Bolt ran down the street, looking around desperately, calling out for Penny, but there was no sign of her, or her scooter. She had escaped, but now, Bolt realised, she was in more danger than ever, now that they were separated.

But a strange sound distracted Bolt, and he turned around, looking behind him to figure out what the noise was, only for his eyes to boggle in shock, and mild fear. It seemed that Calico had many options at his disposal when it came to hunting him and Penny down. Several hundred yards down the street, Bolt could see several more bikes, with a few of Calico's prized black cars amongst them as well. And to top it all off, three small, sleek, black helicopters, their bodies bristling with various weapons, had now joined the chase as well.

Calico, it seemed, had decided it was time to drop any subtlety and just hit the two of them with everything his Highton facility had to offer. Knowing that Bolt would never stand a chance against such a force, even with his powers, he sped off. His only chance now was to find Penny, and help her escape this city before that force found them and wiped them off of the face of the earth.


	22. Chapter 21: Search and Destroy

**Chapter 21**

**Search and Destroy**

Penny looked behind her as Bolt and the last of Calico's rider's crashed to the ground, tumbling along the sidewalk together in a mess of limbs, leather and fur. Crying out, Penny made to turn around and speed back for Bolt, but as she swung out onto the road once again, two more of Calico's bikes intercepted her, forcing her down another road, away from the carnage, away from Bolt...and away from her planned escape.

Her previous plan had been to use Bolt's help, along with his powers, to stop the riders that had been chasing her, all the while making her way to the river, and the bridge across it that lead to the city's under-construction outskirts. She, like Bolt, had also guessed that Calico must have control of the security surveillance systems in the city, and that was how his men were finding her so fast. But since the outskirts across the river were still being properly constructed, there would not be as much security there that Calico could use to track them. Her plan had been to reach the outskirts, lose the rest of Calico's men amongst the construction sites, before she and Bolt snuck out of the city and planned their next move.

But now it had all gone wrong. First Bolt had been left behind to deal with the last rider, and now these two had stopped her from turning back, and forced her down a side-street...away from the bridge, which had been just a few-hundred yards ahead of them! Her plan was in ruins, and she was most certainly not going to leave this city without Bolt, not after everything he had done for her, not after the life they had shared together...

Penny's mind was ripped back to the now as one of the new bikers made a swipe for her with his electric hand. As Penny hopped out of the way, the man missing her cleanly, she suddenly understood why these men were not using guns or something similar; they were out to capture her, not kill her! And they were trying to it quietly, without causing too much of a fuss among Highton's residents...although it was far too late for that now.

* * * * *

The city was, indeed, in complete chaos. People were gathering around the various crash-sites the chase had caused so far, and police were already being mobilised to try and stop a group of black motorbikes that were hooning around the city. There were also scattered reports of a young girl on a scooter amongst the information report filing, but police ignored it as hysteria and continued on their way, sirens wailing as they shot into the city streets, having absolutely no idea what they were about to get into.

* * * * *

As Penny continued the swerve through the streets of Highton, she was beginning to feel the effects of the high-stress chase. She was beginning to have difficulty concentrating on everything around her, and as such, was only just avoiding the traffic she was zipping past at ridiculous speeds. Once this actually served to help her, as one of the bikers, concentrating too much on trying to nab her, sped head-on into the front of a massive cement truck, obviously destined for one of the construction sites. The poor man never stood a chance, and Penny looked away as she heard a sickening crash, not wanting to see what became of the man. She did not care who he was, or that he worked for Calico, no-one should die that way.

Which was what had her in a state of slight fear with Bolt. Despite the fact that she loved him with all her heart, she could tell that her companion was heading down a very dark path. The Shepherd simply did not seem to comprehend the fact that killing someone, even if that someone has done bad things, is not right in any way. It left Penny worried about the future, particularly if this sort of behaviour continued after she managed to save Richard - if she could - and continue their lives. He had learned to kill without mercy or remorse, and any sense of pity, and if that behaviour continued, he could get into very serious trouble with the authorities one day. Penny knew, despite the fact that she did not want to, that she would have to discipline Bolt on how to control his reckless, almost bloodthirsty nature...or it would be the death of him.

But now Penny forced those thoughts aside, as she tried to focus on the one rider left...only to notice that he was no longer the only one left. One of Calico's favourite bulky cars had joined the race to stop her, along with a small black helicopter, which Penny recognised from her files. She knew that the aircraft, despite their small size, carried a massive payload of seriously advanced weaponry, and that the inclusion of this beast into the chase meant she was in a lot of trouble. It was going to take everything she and Bolt had to just stay alive now, let alone avoid capture...and that was if she could find her companion again.

As the last remaining rider attacked her, Penny gave him a rough shove, sending him crashing spectacularly to the bitumen, although she almost unseated herself from the scooter in the process. Quickly finding her balance once more, Penny then set about winding her way back through the streets, trying to find the place where she had left Bolt behind. Every second she spent alone was another second she remained in very grave danger. Without Bolt, she realised, she was nothing against Calico's hordes.

But that did not stop her from trying, nor did it stop her from getting some results. As she wound her way through the maze of busy streets, Penny weaved her way through one particularly congested street, and succeeded in losing the sedan that had been tailing her, and had on several occasions also attempted to stop her. The helicopter, however, doggedly followed her wherever she went, and she knew that only Bolt was going to be able to get rid of it for her.

And finally, after a few minutes of weaving thorough the streets, with only the helicopter tailing her, which could do nothing more than watch her, she finally came back to the road that lead to the bridge, and the point where she and Bolt had been forced to split up.

There was no sign of Bolt anywhere.

Signs of his passing were clear enough; wreckages of motorbikes and even a small truck were strewn around the street, onlookers still standing there, trying to make sense of it all. She even noticed one of Calico's men lying in the middle of the road, apparently the only one Bolt had dealt with that was still alive, slowly trying to get to his feet. But Bolt was nowhere to be seen. Penny eventually brought the scooter to a complete stop, Calico's helicopter overshooting her, taken off-guard by the unexpected move.

And as she looked around, she could hear multiple sounds over the helicopters buzzing blades and the clamour of the bystanders; the low drone of motorbike engines, mixed with the distant wailing of sirens...the police were on the way! Penny looked behind her, to find that indeed, off in the distance, a moving series of flashing blue and red light marked the coming of a small division of local police. Now Penny had no choice...if she wanted to escape, she had to escape now, and just hope that Bolt made it out of this mess alright. If the police intervened on her behalf, they would almost certainly take her in for questioning, and that would simply leave her as a sitting duck for Calico to come and take at his will. She could not afford to get captured by anyone...good or bad.

And as such, Penny's decision was made for her: She had to leave Bolt behind. "I'm sorry," she whispered quietly as she once again gunned the scooter's motor, shooting off through the crowds and the carnage, heading straight for the sole bridge leading out over the river.

But Calico, it seemed, had already anticipated that. As the bridge finally came into view past the mess of cars and trucks, she saw that Calico had already sent his men ahead of him. The two sedans he had sent out now blocked the checkpoint that gave access to the bridge completely, men ready at all the windows of the cars, waiting to grab her should she try to pass. And even if she could pass them, two more helicopters waited behind them, also ready to stop her. And as Penny eyed the array of missiles and guns the helicopters held, she had no doubt in her mind that Calico had given those helicopters orders to shoot her down if she passed the sedans. Calico may be desperate to capture her to use as bait to get her father talking - for she had no doubt that was what Calico wanted from her - but she knew that, failing that, Calico now wanted to see her removed from his list of problems as well.

"No..." Penny slowed the scooter as she saw the blockade in front of her, also noticing that several motorbikes were arranged in side streets near the bridge, ready to intervene if something else should go wrong. She was trapped. With Calico watching every square inch of Highton's city centre, and her closest escape route blocked, Penny knew her race was run. If she tried to find another way out of the city, Calico's men would rearrange and intercept her quickly.

But as Penny began to bring the scooter to a stop, and, at long last, surrender to Calico, the two sedans blocking the checkpoint were blasted away, both of them spinning away from each other, as if some force had just smashed straight into them at the point their ends met, by the dividing line between the bridges lanes. It took Penny all of one second to see what that force was. "Bolt!" she cried out as her faithful companion, nothing more than a blur of speed thanks to his powers, shot to her side in moments, waiting for her command.

Penny could only stare at Bolt with immense relief and affection. They were back together, and their path through the checkpoint was clear...if they could get past the two helicopters, which now swooped lower, almost daring the girl-and-dog partnership to try and run the gauntlet.

But Penny already had a plan for that. She pressed a button on the handlebars of her scooter, and a panel opened up at the front of scooter, Bolt's lead, attached to some sort of anchor inside the scooter, shot out, flying along for a short distance before it reached its full length and snapped back, the handle clattering to the ground. Bolt looked at this, then looked up at Penny questioningly. "Grab it, Bolt. It's time to see exactly what you can do!"


	23. Chapter 22: Destruction Zone

**Chapter 22**

**Destruction Zone**

Bolt looked from Penny to the lead several times before he realised what Penny had planned. "Oh." He then leapt forward, grabbing the silvery metal handle in his mouth, now effectively able to tow Penny along behind him. He looked determinedly forward at the two helicopters blockading him, waiting for him to try it. This was going to be risky, Bolt realised. But the end reward, escape, would be well worth it.

"Alright, Bolt!" Penny called behind him. "Show me what you can do!"

Bolt smiled back up at his person, before eyeing the helicopters maliciously once more. _Let's see you stop this!_ And with that, he took off. He immediately called upon his powers, giving him the strength necessary to pull both Penny and her scooter...but he did not use the speed he had waiting just yet. He needed to wait, just a little longer...

"Bolt...?" Penny's worried call made Bolt wince, his instincts demanding he stem the fear that was obviously beginning to flow through Penny. But he fought it, managing to push it back as he passed the bikes, which immediately gathered into formation a short but safe distance them as Bolt pushed through the bridge checkpoint, and the remains of the two sedans he had left there. As the helicopters angled themselves lower, training all their weapons on the small, young pair that dared to defy them, Bolt decided that now was the time...and his powers responded explosively.

Bolt felt the power in his mind sear through his entire body, filling him like it never had before. He focused it all to his legs, putting as much of it as he could into improving his speed. The result was instantaneous, and spectacular. Bolt simply shot away, within a moment he was already under the helicopters and clear of the bridge, running at a pace he never thought possible, dragging Penny's scooter along behind him. He looked back to check on her, finding that, aside from the wind contorting her face, she was fine. The helicopters, however, were still struggling behind, trying to figure out what had just happened, as the convoy of motorbikes shot off their collective marks, and tried to chase them down.

Bolt turned his vision back forward once more, smiling. It was too easy. He was simply too fast for any of Calico's men to catch. Within a minute they would be out of the city...and out of Calico's reach!

But fate, it seemed, was keen to intervene. Within moments traffic began to pile up in front of them, thanks to some sort of afternoon rush hour, that combined with the constant construction sites, made for a traffic nightmare. Bolt in the end had no choice but to slow down considerably to navigate the congested street, weaving in, out, around, and sometimes under vehicles in an attempt to find his way through, towing Penny along the whole time.

But it did not matter what tricks Bolt tried, because within seconds the convoy of motorbikes, along with the three helicopters, were on top of them once more, the helicopters simply watching as the motorbikes once more made grabs for Penny, who kept bunny-hopping out of harms way, although this would not keep up for long. Bolt knew he needed something else, some way of fooling the bikers, some trick he could employ to lose them.

In the end, it was Penny who came up with a plan first. "Bolt! That building!"

Bolt followed her signals, which pointed to a half-constructed building, right against the turn-off to the highway, which lead back to Silverlake. He immediately noticed a large garage door that lead into the building, which was what Penny seemed to be indicating. He smiled as a plan formed in his mind. "Right...hang on!" he yelled as he angled towards it, although he showed no intention of entering. To the bikers, Bolt seemed to simply be avoiding more traffic.

But just as it looked like Bolt was going to pass the garage, and just as another of Calico's men made a lunge for Penny, bolt turned sharply, angling into the garage door, zipping through it, Penny fishtailing wildly behind him, the biker's grab missing widely. Somehow, Penny managed to keep her scooter balanced during the wide turn, and as Bolt looked back, he saw that his trick had indeed worked. He saw a number of the motorbikes overshoot the doorway completely, while two more tried to get in, only to either miss the turn and crash sickeningly into the brick wall, or overbalance their bikes and end up airborne, spinning wildly through the air as they awaited their demise. In the end, only two bikes in the convoy were able to successfully follow them in, but in the tight confines of the building, they were on their tail once again in a matter of moments.

Bolt weaved his way through the mess of bricks, wooden support beams, and construction equipment, trying to lose the bikers and find a way out, but to no avail. These two seemed to be smarter than the average Calico goon, and were anticipating Bolt's every move. But, strangely, they did not make to grab Penny. They simply stayed on either side of Bolt, jostling him around, almost as if they were...

And Bolt turned a corner, and found it was a dead-end. It lead straight to a solid brick wall, which Bolt's sense of direction told him would lead to the highway on-ramp. But it did not matter any more. Calico's men had jostled him into a dead-end, and now he was out of room and out of options. He knew there was a chance he had the strength to break through the brick wall, but with Penny being towed behind him...he did not want to risk hurting her.

But Penny, it seemed, had other ideas. "Bolt, it's our only chance! Through the wall!"

Bolt looked back at her, worried. "You're sure?"

"Go Bolt, go!" Penny may not have understood a word Bolt said, but she did seem to know his intentions.

Taking a deep breath, Bolt sped up, pouring the unused portion of his power into his strength, enhancing it as far as he possibly could. He was going to need every bit of it to get through this wall, and even if he did break through, it was still going to be unpleasant. Calico's men looked questioningly at each other as Bolt approached the wall, but continued to chase, knowing the dog was up to something as Bolt approached the wall at considerable speed, lowering his head and bracing himself for...

Impact.

When Bolt felt his head strike the brick wall, he certainly felt it. Stars exploded in his vision, and he almost blacked out. But, miraculously, he felt the wall crumbled under his weight, and he exploded through it, into bright sunlight. He landed clumsily in small park next to the on-ramp to the highway, glad to finally feel something soft on his feet after spending the entire day walking on nothing but concrete and asphalt. After a short moment his vision cleared, and he turned back to see where Penny was, just in time to see her blast through the hole Bolt had made in the wall.

Bolt winced as Penny's scooter caught on a brick that Bolt's headlong charge had not dislodged from the wall, and both Penny and the scooter came tumbling out of the building, Bolt crying out as she hit the ground hard, rolled several times, before coming to rest next to Bolt, perfectly still. "Penny!" Bolt quickly rushed to Penny's side, just in time to hear her groan. She was hurt, sore and bruised, but okay. Realising there was nothing he could do for her, Bolt turned his attention to the two bikers that had been behind them...just as they, too came through the hole Bolt had left in the wall.

The first biker was caught out by the uneven hole as well, his motorbike catching on the same brick the scooter had, the rider thrown from his vehicle and sent tumbling into the grass a several feet from where Bolt and Penny were. The second biker, however, was a little smarter. He had seen a smooth gap in the wall, and used it, shooting out of Bolt's makeshift exit at speed, heading straight for the Shepherd that had caused both the rider and his master so many problems, intent on running him down there and then, and grabbing Penny while she was still out of it.

But Bolt had other ideas, and he used them to full effect. Calling upon his ever-growing reserves of powers, Bolt firmly stood his ground as the motorbike came at him, before jumping aside at the last second and unleashing a ferocious kick straight into the chassis of the small bike. The force of the blow nearly snapped the bike in two, and the bent and broken machine was flung high into the air, the rider still in his seat, screaming as he was flung out over the highway, and finally off out of Bolt's sight, to face a rather grisly end when he landed.

Bolt simply forgot about that man as he turned to the second one, who was busy getting to his feet. Before he could, though, Bolt's Heat-Vision beams shot from his eyes and lanced clean through the man's helmet, who fell silently, thudding to the ground, dead before he hit the grass.

The immediate threat now dealt with, Bolt turned back to Penny, to find her up on one knee, her head resting in her hand, groaning with pain. She looked up at Bolt when he whined at her, before smiling. "That wasn't quite how I wanted it to work out, but I guess it'll do." Pulling herself back to her feet, she went and grabbed her scooter, which was miraculously undamaged, and jumped back on it, Bolt grabbing the leash attachment once more. "Okay, boy...let's get out of this place!"

Once again, Bolt took off, leading the scooter out onto the highway on-ramp, before heading to the highway itself, seeking to escape the city before the rest of Calico's men came back. But, in typical fashion of Calico, just as Bolt allowed himself a smile, and began to think he had escaped, that he and Penny had made it, Calico's men arrived...in force. Just as Bolt towed Penny under an overpass, the three last bikes from the convoy jumped down from it, immediately giving chase, just as the three helicopters also swooped down and joined in, all of them beginning to jostle around Penny.

But none of them attacked, and Bolt found out why a few seconds later, when one of the bikes came up beside him, obviously trying to get his attention. When Bolt looked at the rider, he noticed an object in the man's - no, Bolt corrected himself on instinct, this one was a woman - hand. It looked sort of like a black, metal frisbee, and as Bolt watched, the woman pressed a button on it, and a series of green lights flashed on it, before a display panel revealed a timer, set to one minute. Bolt instantly recalled the various movies he and Penny had watched, and knew what this object was in an instant...

A bomb!

Just as the bomb's timer began ticking, the woman flung the bomb away. It sailed across the dividing barrier of the highway, before its obviously magnetic casing latched onto the back of a school bus, which was full to capacity with young children, obviously on their way back to Highton after some sort of day trip.

Penny had also witnessed this latest series of events, and her eyes boggled in horror when she saw where the bomb had gone. "The kids! Bolt, fetch!"

Bolt looked back at Penny. He knew the children where in danger, but they were not his problem...Penny was. "What?"

"Bolt, there's no time! I can handle this lot, now go! Fetch!"

Bolt hesitated for one more second, before finally obeying, dropping the leash as Penny reeled it back into her scooter, before turning away from her and jumping over the dividing barrier, moving into the thick inbound traffic. Without Penny to worry about any more, he pushed his speed back up to nauseating levels. He just wanted to get this bomb, dump it somewhere safe, and get back to Penny. But as he chased down the bomb, he noticed that two of the helicopters were now chasing him, and he now saw Calico's plan. The bomb was a simple trick to get him and Penny to split up. The helicopters could simply chase him down and kill him at will, while the bikes could continue to chase down Penny and nab her at their leisure. Bolt realised he was now racing two clocks, one to get to the bomb before it blew, and another to return to Penny's side before Calico's men got her.

A few moments later, Bolt pushed through the traffic, and at last reached the bus, the bomb still attached to its back, the timer now visible to Bolt's keen eyes.

0:48...0:47...

With the two helicopters right behind him, Bolt raced up to the bus, and in one quick leap, nabbed the bomb from it, the magnet disengaging instantly at his contact, grabbing the thing in his mouth as he now searched for a way to escape this highway and find some abandoned house or construction zone to dump the thing. Penny was obviously interested in saving lives, and Bolt knew that these were innocent people...Calico's men deserved to die, but innocent bystanders did not, and he was not going to deliberately dump the bomb in a crowded place.

0:44...0:43...

But as Bolt mounted the dividing barrier and zipped past the lumbering bus, the little kids inside crowding to watch him, the helicopters now advanced on him, ready to get him the moment he moved past the bus and out onto the open highway. And to make matters worse, he could see the third helicopter moving into position a few hundred yards ahead...pincer move.

0:41...0:40...

Bolt now desperately looked for a way out of his situation, jumping around the front of the bus and onto the opposite guard rail. The highway was too exposed...if he was to evade the helicopters, he needed to get back down to all the construction sites, and make his way back to Penny. As he bounded along the guard rail, he noticed a train passing underneath him, speeding along the tracks, back in the direction of Penny! But he was already passing over it, if he stopped to turn around, the helicopters would nail him.

But then he saw a construction crane up head, it hook dangling from the arm, and got an idea. Just as all three helicopter lined up their weapons to fire upon the now exposed dog, Bolt leapt from the guard rail...and not a moment too soon. Mere milliseconds later the railing he was on disintegrated as one of the helicopters unleashed a burst from its nose-mounted mini gun, the concrete barrier crumbling to dust under the weight of the fire. Bolt, for his part, landed on the hook of the crane, which swung out wildly, Bolt using his second of respite to check the bomb's timer.

0:37...0:36...

He was running out of time fast, but he could not dump the bomb while the helicopters continued to chase him like this...it was time to deal with them. As the crane made it's return swing, Bolt leapt from it, landed deftly on top of the moving train, before running along it, back towards Penny, as the train passed under the highway he was on seconds ago, coming out the other side...and back out into the open.

0:33...0:32...

Bolt's move had confused and disoriented the helicopters, but one of them had not been fooled quite so easily, and soon shot along behind Bolt, it mini gun beginning to spin, preparing to rip Bolt to shreds, with no though for the occupants of the train whatsoever.

Bolt, however, knew the helicopter was behind him, and did the last thing the pilot of the machine expected: He stopped. With the train still rattling along, he held his ground and turned to face the helicopter, staring it down. Just moments before the helicopter's mini gun blazed to life, Bolt's Heat-Vision blasted out, the twin beams cutting straight through the reinforced metal of the helicopter like it did not exist, cutting through several vital components in the process. Bolt simply watched with smug satisfaction as the helicopter lurched violently in the air, the pilot desperately trying to keep control as the machine died, stalled, and finally crashed down to earth, smashing into the beginnings of a house, the construction site fortunately abandoned at the time. The helicopter finally came to rest, both it and the house a twisted wreckage, belching out black smoke as Bolt growled in satisfaction and turned away, resuming his run down the train, all the while watching the highway beside him, looking for any sign of Penny.

0:26...0:25...

But before he could find her amongst the traffic, the second helicopter pushed through the smoke-cloud the first one had left behind, catching up on Bolt fast. Bolt saw it out of the corner of his eye, and prepared to stop and laser this one down, too. But the second chopper had seen the demise of his brother, and this time did not give Bolt the chance. Instead, Bolt heard a loud _poof-shoom_, and saw something small, long and sleek detach itself from the helicopter's small wing and chase after him, leaving a long smoke-trail behind itself.

Missile!

In an instinctive reaction to the threat, Bolt did the only thing he could do. Just as the missile was about to slam into his backside, Bolt leapt from the train, running through the wooden frame of another partially-constructed house. Looking behind him to see that the missile had completely overshot him, and that the helicopter had long since left, obviously looking for another way to intercept him.

0:19...0:18...

As Bolt noticed the bomb's timer running down, he considered simply leaving it here, but he threw the thought away instantly as he noticed that this particular house was full of workers, all slaving away at getting the house done, stopping as they saw Bolt run past, jaws dropping at the sight of a filthy Shepherd running randomly through their workplace. He would have to leave it somewhere else.

0:16...0:15...

But as the bomb began to tick down it's final fifteen seconds, several things happened at once. First, Bolt finally saw Penny, who was on the highway on the other side of the construction site. The helicopter that had just fired the missile at Bolt was now chasing her, along with only one more bike; the woman. It seemed that Penny had been able to get rid of two of them, but this last one was proving unshakable, and the helicopter was beginning to cause her problems as well. The second thing that happened was that Bolt heard the missile somewhere behind him shooting into the construction. It was obviously fitted with some sort of advanced homing system, and was not going to give up easily. And finally, just as Bolt was about to reach the other side of the house, the third helicopter arrived, rising ominously from a trench in the ground...a large gap that was Bolt's final obstacle before he reached the highway. The helicopter rose to a hover just above the trench, blocking Bolt's path perfectly.

Bolt took it all in: Penny in front, in danger...the missile behind, and a helicopter between him and his person, preparing to unleash its devastating mini gun on him...and he smiled. A plan formed quickly in his mind, one that would allow him to get rid of the missile, the helicopter, the bomb, and the last bike...and possibly the last helicopter as well, if human instincts were to work in his favour. And so, with that plan, Bolt continued his headlong charge towards the helicopter, as the missile began to catch up with him. By his guess, Bolt figured he would hit the helicopter a couple of seconds before the missile caught up...and that was exactly what he was counting on. Then, just as he came out of the half-finished house, and drew so close to the helicopter he could see the pilot through the windshield, Bolt jumped.

He infused as much of his power as he could spare into his jump, forcing himself to go high and far. He sailed through the air, flying clean over the helicopter in his way, noticing that the pilot looked up at him in shock as he flew over. In the end, Bolt came down exactly where he had planned, on the highway behind, landing so hard he actually caused the concrete underneath him to buckle slightly. Once Bolt had regained his balance, he took off down the highway, chasing down Penny, leaving the pilot to stare after him in dumb shock...which proved to a fatal mistake.

The missile, which continued to relentlessly case down Bolt, was so single-minded in its pursuit that it crashed straight into the helicopter that was blocking its way, detonating violently in a massive fireball that engulfed the entire helicopter! When the explosion cleared, the helicopter was still there, but it was a melted, twisted wreck of its former self, which fell back into the trench it had risen out of, crashing back to the ground, scattered fires continued to burn away, at least until the local fire department would be called to make sure the explosion did not cause any more damage.

0:10...0:09...

With those two threats now dealt with, Bolt now focused on his final task, sprinting down the highway, seeing Penny up ahead on the highway, which, thankfully, was now clear of traffic for a large distance around the group. Pushing himself harder, but feeling absolutely exhausted, Bolt chased down the last motorbike, determined to end this there and then.

0:05...

He came up behind the motorbike...

0:04...

Where he jumped up onto the woman's back, quickly dropping the bomb in her lap, before leaping off...

0:03...

He chased down Penny as the biker looked down, picking up the bomb...

0:02...

As she picked it up, she realised what it was, and instinctively threw it into the air, noticing how close it was to detonating...

0:01...

The bomb sailed into the air...where it latched firmly onto the underside of the third and final helicopter, before...

0:00.

It blew.

The helicopter simply vanished inside another fireball, this one much larger than the one the missile had caused. In the end, all that was left of the helicopter were small, red-hot pieces of metal, which scattered all over the highway, and the surrounding area, never to trouble Penny and Bolt ever again.

The woman, seeing her colossal mistake, slapped a hand to her helmet, before looking up...just in time to see Bolt's jaws coming straight for her! Bolt crashed into her hard, his mouth locking around her neck, dragging her roughly from her bike, which wobbled away and eventually crashed to the ground on its side. Bolt and the woman hit the ground together, Bolt feeling the woman's neck break as she hit the road awkwardly. Knowing she was dead, Bolt dropped her and took off, heading back towards Penny, the two of them zipping off down the highway, clearing Highton's outskirts and reaching the open road, Bolt looking back, seeing the columns of black smoke and hearing the distant wailing of police and fire sirens as the two left the chaos behind them.


	24. Chapter 23: The Shadow of Calico

**Chapter 23**

**The Shadow of Calico**

But as Bolt and Penny made their escape from Highton, someone - or rather, something - else watched them, a sly smile on her face. "So, this is the hated Bolt," she mused aloud, continuing to watch as the two of them faded away into the distance. "And his...Penny, that the Doctor considers of such high importance that she is not to be killed...well, they're nothing if not lucky!"

Her targets now having long since faded beyond the creature's extensive sight, she gracefully leapt from her observation platform - the top of a half-finished skyscraper - and made her way back to the ground, thinking as she went, her mind running over how close she had come to her ultimate goal, and all the events of her life that had lead her to this point.

She had spent quite a few years now under the leadership of Hairballs, Calico's constant cat companion, and the leader of all the animals working under Calico's organisation. They were few, but they were loyal, if her own testament was to be regarded. She had joined Calico's regime after hearing of his - and Hairballs' - quest for world power, her own desire for revenge driving her to become to best of Calico's animal followers. Before meeting Hairballs, she had been under the ownership of a particularly nasty human, a person who had mistreated and neglected her, eventually leaving her out on the streets to die. She had spent long months on the streets, struggling to survive, and cursing all of humanity for the wrongs they had committed on her.

Then she had met Hairballs.

She had been initially distrustful of the cat, who was working in tandem with this lanky, disfigured human, but had soon learned that Hairballs was only using Calico to achieve his own means...once he had them, and Calico had fulfilled his purpose, then his plan would be swung into completion, Calico abandoned while the animals ruled superior for the first time in millennia! It was really no surprise to her, then, that very few dogs had joined Calico's cause. _And why should they?_ she had thought in disgust, with they way they sat all high and mighty by humanity's side, ever faithful to the careless, arrogant, and selfish beings who had settled themselves in as the dominant species of the planet.

The creature herself was a cat, like Hairballs, a fact which was a source of some pride for her. They may be the 'third-world' species of the human-dog-cat triangle, the most neglected of humanity's companions...but that would all change, and soon, too. She would make sure of that.

Once she had learned of Hairballs' true plans, she had sworn herself over to his cause, and had trained herself for the day that they would rise up and overtake the humans. She taught herself, with some help from the master himself, how to attack and kill both humans and dogs, since the single-minded creatures would always be loyal to their chosen masters. Over the years she had honed her skills, and even tested them against live targets, already having close to ten human lives under her claws already, as well as three dogs. According to Hairballs himself, she was his most skilled assassin, earning her the nickname, 'The Shadow of Calico'. She hated the fact that her nickname referred to a human, but accepted it, as it did seem to instil fear in anyone who had heard of her, plus, she would be able to change it once their plan was enacted, and Calico was...disposed of.

And then, just today, she had gotten word that Calico's plans, and through that, Hairballs' plans, were being threatened by a new menace, a young human girl named Penny, and her pet dog, Bolt, who apparently had been enhanced with super-powers. Initially she did not believe the last statement, despite the fact that it was coming from her master, convinced he had simply been misinformed. But after watching today's spectacle in Highton, she had to agree that the dog was indeed powerful...bringing him down would be no simple task.

She had seen how he had been able to make scrap metal of bikes, cars, trucks and even helicopters with nothing more than his own body, and had single-handedly killed several of Calico's men. He had turned the city of Highton into chaos and panic, and caused untold levels of damage. He had smashed his way through solid walls, and even had to ability to shoot some sort of green laser from his eyes. And after all this, she was nothing more than a regular old cat...a skilled one, no doubt, but even so, open conflict with this dog would only result in her death, that much was obvious.

As the cat reached ground level, and slowly made her way back into Highton City, back towards the Calico building, she thought about how best to approach a confrontation with this...Bolt. Direct confrontation was out of the question, and the dog's powers would cause serious complications...but her observations had exposed one critical weakness of her despised enemy: His powers were not ever-present. He had to call upon them when he wished to use them, which meant that, as long as he believed he, and his precious human, were in no danger, he left himself vulnerable. Which left her with a valuable opportunity. If she was able to catch him off-guard, when his powers lay idle, she could kill him before he became a significant threat. It was a tricky task, and one that required her to kill quickly and quietly, before her target ever became aware of her, but she knew that if anyone inside Hairballs' gathering could do it, it was her. She, of all the animals under his leadership, was the most skilled, the most lethal...she knew that Hairballs would request her skills to fulfil this extremely important mission.

The cat's convictions were still strong when she sat in the back alleyway behind Calico's building, where the chaotic mess had started. She looked around the alleyway as she waited for Hairballs' local messenger, noting the remains of Bruce's car still lay in the alley, although Bruce was nowhere in sight. She knew that the agent was certain to face a cruel and justified punishment at Calico's hands for his failure. She eventually sat down as the seconds dragged by, continuing to wait. This was the part she hated, where she was forced to sit back and wait for orders that she could already predict, while a threat or target began to slip from her grasp. But finally, after a couple of minutes, Hairballs' local messenger arrived.

While Calico was unaware of an animal sector working hard inside his own organisation, that did not mean that they were disorganised. Almost every one of Calico Technology's branches had a small following of animals in them, all of whom communicated with their via use of the human's 'video-conference' technology, which allowed Hairballs to manage things, even when he was far away from an area of interest. As such, each 'facility' had its own 'messenger', who carried Hairballs' latest schemes to whoever was needed to executed them. In the case of Highton, the messenger was a giant of a cat, a striped orange tabby. He was huge in the sense that he was not fat, more that he was simply over-sized. Coupled with his colour, it made the cat seem like a half-tiger of sorts...he just seemed too large to be a normal cat. He was known only as Jake, and he commanded a certain presence that made even the bravest of cats quail slightly in his presence.

"Ah, Mittens, you're right on time, as always...excellent." Jake smiled at Mittens as he said it, his smiled widening as she scowled in return.

"Jake, what have I told you about using my old name? I much prefer 'Shadow', thank you!" Mittens' old name was not only a painful reminder of her past with humans, it was also that she found that her new name simply suited her much better. Mittens was a gangly young tabby, her lean, almost skeletal figure covered in midnight-black fur, her old human having christened her Mittens thanks to the fact that all four of her paws her white, along with the tip of her tail. Her fur was also white around her nose and mouth, and there was also a large smudge of white on her stomach. All-in-all, Mittens' dark fur allowed her to blend into shadow extremely well, although the glinting of her green eyes sometimes gave her away. As such, she much preferred Shadow over Mittens...particularly since she despised the cutesy, childish names many humans seemed to be obsessed with.

Jake simply continued to smile at Mittens as she sat there, her tail flicking occasionally in mild aggravation. "Of course you prefer your new name," he said smoothly. "But we older cats tend to have...issues...with tradition. We stick to old names and ideas."

Mittens sighed. It was true, of course. Jake was, indeed, extremely old...and yet, he still commanded a strength beyond what his years should allow. Like his size, his strength and generally level of...Mittens could only call it 'liveliness'...continued to suggest to most that met him that he was something more than your average cat. Shaking off her wandering thoughts quickly, knowing she had no time for such ruminations, she pulled her focus back to the task at hand. "I have completed the task our leader has asked of me. I have watched and studied the pooch...Bolt...and I have discovered some...weaknesses, that we may be able to exploit." She paused, wishing to see how Jake took this news. Of all the cats working for Hairballs, Jake seemed to be the most jealous of Mittens' rapid advancement through the ranks of their group, having being one of the 'traditionalists' that believed that you could only achieve your goals through hard work and perseverance. But he did not tend to show it, a trait which Mittens enjoyed trying to make him break.

Jake seemed unaffected by Mittens' success, waving a paw casually. "Go on."

"I believe that Bolt doesn't have the usual powers, that are with him all the time. He seems to need to call upon them before they protect or assist him. So, the thing is, if someone can sneak up on him, and hit him before he is aware of any danger, he will not have any chance to defend himself. He could be an easy kill to someone who has skill, stealth, and patience, and - "

Jake paw, raised once more, Mittens falling silently immediately, more out of a grudging respect than any sense of fear of a reprimand if she disobeyed. "I can see where you are going with this, Mittens." Mittens once again scowled at the use of her old name, but did not protest it. "But there is no point in continuing, because Hairballs has already come to a decision." At this, Jake seemed to pause momentarily, as if he did not like what he was about to say. It was a fleeting sign of anything other than his usual, steadfast calm, but Mittens took it in joyously anyway. Something Hairballs had said had touched a nerve for this patient old giant, and Mittens could not help but smile at it. "It seems...that he has guessed most of what you have confirmed, and has ordered you to eliminate this dog, before he can cause too many more problems for the organisation."

Mittens' smile widened at this. It was more than she could possibly have asked for. She was going to be the one to kill this annoying menace, and there was nothing Jake could do about it! "Of course," she said, managing to mask the sly joy in her voice. "I am, obviously, delighted to be given this task. I already have a fair idea of where the two are headed. I will track them down...and I will kill this supposed super-dog!"

"But remember," Jake's call stopped Mittens short. It seemed he was not going to let her go with a complete victory. "The girl is not to be harmed in any way. The Doctor apparently has need of her. And, since this target will be constantly on the move, should you lose track of them, Hairballs has suggested that you head to the Bolivia facility, and wait for them there." When Mittens gave him a quizzical look, Jake continued. "Hairballs has suggested that the pair may eventually head that way, and that is to be the secondary plan...if the primary goes wrong."

Mittens took this all in impassively, understanding instantly. "Of course, but I won't need it. That mutt will be dead within the week!" With that, she turned and left, heading back for the outskirts of the city, leaving Jake sitting there, watching her go. She moved quickly, knowing that time was against her. If she wanted to find the dog before he moved beyond Mittens' tracking ability, she would need every second she could get. But one thing was certain...when she found this Bolt, she was not going to give him a chance to strike back.


	25. Chapter 24: The Outside World

**Chapter 24**

**The Outside World**

Penny shoved her way back outside roughly, in a foul mood.

She looked up and down the street she had just walked out onto, making sure that there were no signs of Calico's men looking for her, before making her way to the nearest light post, where Bolt was tied down, the leash normally kept in her scooter wrapped around the post, and clipped to Bolt's collar. But rather than untying him just yet, she sat down beside him, leaning against the light post, shoving her head into her hands and spending a few minutes thinking, trying to calm herself.

She had just spent the entirety of the morning looking through the library of this small town - Keiton Gorge, she recalled - poring over every book, and every Internet web page she could think of, looking for any sign, any hint, of a Bolivia facility under Calico's control. But after close to five hours of searching, she had come up with absolutely nothing. According to all records, Calico Technology did not have a facility, warehouse, or even a goods checkpoint, in Bolivia, or indeed, even in that part of South America. The closest thing they had were small branches in Brazil and Mexico, and they were small, unimportant facilities. Penny knew that Richard would be kept in an important facility, where his knowledge could be put to instant use the moment he buckled under the pressure, and revealed Bolt's secrets...but where could he possibly be? Even though Calico had no facilities in Bolivia, she was certain that Bruce's lead was genuine, and that it was her own deduction skills that were lacking. She knew she had heard or seen a reference to a Bolivia facility somewhere before...but where? It infuriated her that she could not work out what she knew was right in front of her, and that every second she failed to see what must have been so obvious was another second that her father was being held prisoner, having only God-knows-what done to him to make him spill his secrets.

Finally Penny just resorted to silent fuming, letting her anger slowly fade away as she sat next to her best friend, patting him occasionally, letting his presence help calm her. she was amazed at how Bolt had changed over the past couple of days...she could hardly recognise him any more. The White Shepherd now had this constant edge, an alert air about him that suggested that nothing would distract him from his internal mission to protect Penny at all costs. Penny knew that Bolt would never quite be the same again after this was over. Even if they were somehow able to overcome Calico and return to their old lives in Silverlake, Penny knew that Bolt would never quite be the same companion as he was in the five years they spent together before this mess started. Whether the change would be for better or worse, Penny could only guess at, but there was no doubt that Bolt had changed. Thinking about this lead her to Bolt's recent sense of aggression...which bordered on outright blood lust. During their hitch-hiking and scooter trips down the highway, she had attempted to teach Bolt how life was not something that should be carelessly taken, and that he had to value all life...even that of his enemies. But this seemed to be one lesson that Bolt was unable to learn. Whether he simply did not understand what Penny was trying to teach him, or whether he did not want to learn restraint, Penny could not figure out. But one thing was certain...Bolt was going to get himself into a lot of trouble if he did not change his act, and soon.

But the thing Penny marvelled at the most was Bolt's appearance. He never longer even remotely resembled a White Shepherd any more. over the past couple of days, a layer of dust, dirt, mud and grime had coated him, covering his fur from head to tail, leaving his fur a strange mottled mix of browns. Penny had initially had the urge to remove this dirt from him, but had stopped herself...it would actually work in her favour. First off, the layer of grime actually served to hide his mark extremely well, which meant that no-one would take a second glance at him thanks to the presence of a black lightning-bolt mark in his fur. And secondly, the dirty fur disguised his nature as a White Shepherd...he now more closely resembled a standard German Shepherd, a breed that was much more common, and therefore much less likely to draw attention. The disguise would also serve to quite thoroughly fool Calico's men, who would be on the lookout for a young girl with a white dog. A girl and a German Shepherd would go almost completely unnoticed, which gave her a new advantage. But even so, she still had to be extremely careful. Calico's men may no longer be able to recognise Bolt, but they may still be able to identify her, which still left her in terrible danger.

At that moment Penny was snapped out of her daydream by Bolt, who barked loudly, looking down the street. Penny jumped to her feet immediately, following Bolt's gaze, trying to see what had drawn his attention. And sure enough, turning into the street roughly half a mile away, was the familiar black sedan...Calico's patrol! She may have been able to lose them in Highton's outskirts, but that certainly did not mean that they were going to stop looking for her. Penny guessed that all the towns situated close to Highton were being checked. She knew that, after escaping from him several times now, that Calico must be beginning to get frustrated and impatient.

Penny sprang into action immediately, quickly grabbing Bolt's lead and fumbling to untie it from the light post, struggling for a moment with the knot, which had tightened under Bolt's constant yanking. "Come on, come on!" Finally, it came free, and Penny immediately unclipped Bolt from it, stowing the leash in her backpack, before heading off down the street at a swift walk, Bolt behind her all the way, looking for somewhere she could escape and hide, without drawing any attention to herself. She looked along the series of small shops the little town offered on its main street, until eventually she found a small alleyway that disappeared behind an abandoned store. It appeared to be the store's parking lot, but since the store was abandoned, Penny guessed that the lot would be, too. "Come on, Bolt!"

Knowing that Calico's patrol must be close behind her now, she darted into the alleyway, walking briskly down it, before hiding behind the far end of the building and peering around the corner, watching...waiting for the patrol to pass her by, or jump down the dead-end alley and trap her.

But in the end, nearly a minute later, Penny watched with relief as Calico's car drove casually by, showing no sign that it had seen her at all. She finally released the breath she had been unconsciously holding, turning around and slumping to the gravel, relieved that, for once, they had been able to avoid a confrontation. She did not know if she could take any more fighting at this stage, all she needed was a chance to relax, recover, and -

"Well, 'ey 'ere, pretty!"

The voice made Penny jumped a clear foot into the air, back on her feet in seconds, looking for the source of the voice, thinking for a horrific moment that the car had been a ruse to lead into another trap here. But when she saw the man who had been talking she realised that was not the case, but that she was still in trouble.

The voice belonged to a young man, no older than twenty, who it seemed was using this place as a hideout of his own. Penny could immediately tell from the slurring in his voice and his wavering, unfocused eyes that the man was clearly drunk, and that meant serious problems for Penny, especially when she noticed that he had two friends, both of whom were as intoxicated as the first. These men were so out of it that Penny simply could not know what they wanted, or what they were going to do, and that frightened her more than the car had.

The man who had spoken before, the one closest to Penny, scowled at her silence. "Wha're ya doin' here, of all pla'es, huh?"

Penny decided her best course of action might be to throw off their attempts at conversation, and just leave. "None of your business," she replied hotly, turning to head back to the street.

"Aw, come on! Why ya so rude?" a second man called, forcing Penny's attention. "We ju' asked ya a question, tha's all!"

"Yeah!" the third one chimed in. "We just wanna talk, is all!"

Penny decided at that point that it would be better to just ignore them and leave, but when she turned to do so, she found that the three men had already moved, blocking her off and surrounding her. It was only now, at their mercy, that she realised what was happening...and it horrified her to no end. Somehow, she managed to keep herself calm, and continued to try and get out of the situation without causing any trouble. "What do you want?" she asked firmly.

"Oh, I dunno," the first man said, now sneering at her, a strange hunger in his eyes that made Penny back away from him slightly. "First, we wanna talk."

"Which we've now done!" the second man cried, also seeming to grow excited at the situation unfolding before him as Penny continued to try and back away from them.

"And now," the first man re-took control of the conversation. "Well..." He stopped, letting the sentence hang dramatically for Penny, who now raised her hands defensively.

"Stay away from me!" she cried, now beginning to panic. "I'm warning you, just stay a - " her words were lost in a startled scream as the third man, who she had not seen, crept up behind her and grabbed her firmly around the waist, the other two taking the cue and rushing forward, just as Penny managed to get out one last cry: "BOLT!"

The response was quick, and unexpected.

The first one to go was the first man, the apparent ringleader, as two beams of green energy shot through his chest. He yelled once, then collapsed, dead. The second man yelled and spun at the sudden, inexplicable death of his friend...just in time to see a large, brownish blur shoot straight for his face. The next thing Penny knew, the man was on the ground, trashing wildly, Bolt having his head locked firmly in his jaws. He shook him violently a couple of times, then threw him away as if he were nothing more than a piece of garbage, where he crashed into a corner and lay still, Penny unable to tell if he was dead or alive.

But there was still the third man, who still had Penny firmly by the waist. He took in what had happened to his friend, and reacted quickly, placing one arm around Penny's throat, ready to crush the life out of her. "Get your dog to back off, girly...now!"

Penny struggled briefly with the man, trying to get his arm off her neck, but it was no use. The man may be drunk, but he was strong, and that was all he needed. But Penny still managed a small smile, knowing that she had a distinct advantage the man did not know about. "Bolt!" she called, stopping her friend in his tracks. He sat there, growling at Penny's captor, waiting for his person's demand. Penny gave another small smile, winking briefly at Bolt before speaking, hoping he got the message. If Bolt misinterpreted this one, it could easily mean her death...but then, when Penny saw the alternate, she knew she favoured the first course of action greatly. "Zoom zoom!"

Bolt paused, seemingly trying to figure out the meaning of such a basic command, but he eventually gave a small nod and, before the last drunkard could anything, reacted to the order. He shot off from his mark, moving so fast Penny didn't even see where he went; one second he was there, the next...the only sign of him was a small puff of dust.

"What the 'ell?" the third man cried, looking for the dog, but before he could even think of doing anything more than that, Penny heard a loud growling bark from somewhere behind her, and felt the man's grip slacken, before he was violently thrown aside as Bolt pushed him in some way. Penny turned, just in time to see the man fly head-first into a brick wall...hard. He slumped to the floor, knocked unconscious by the blow. Bolt made to step in and finish the man off.

"No, Bolt!" Penny cried, stopping Bolt in his tracks. "Leave him, he's no danger any more."

But Bolt did not seem satisfied by Penny's assurance of safety, and continued to look around, all of his senses obviously on high alert, as Penny's emotions recovered from a close call. And all the while, neither of them noticed a small, dark figure slink deeper into the shadows, watching them.


	26. Chapter 25: Survival Mission

**Chapter 25**

**Survival Mission**

The moment Penny's adrenaline rush subsided, grief and despair struck her...hard.

Those men may not have made their intentions directly clear, but Penny could tell, she knew enough about the world to understand their intentions...and it chilled her to the core. _This?_ she thought sickeningly. _This is the world I'm trying to save?_ She backed away from the mess of limp bodies around her, until she hit the back of the abandoned store, where she finally collapsed to the ground, her spirit and resolve finally breaking. After two days of running, fighting and chasing, she had finally had enough. She simply could not take it any more.

The reason it had all come crashing down now, after two days, was that she had, in that moment, lost faith in her goal. She was fighting to save the world from a tyrannical rule...but was the world she lived in really worth saving? She had just witnessed one of the horrors the modern world held, but she knew that, horrific as this situation was, it was just the tip of the iceberg. She could now see the terrors the world held...and through that, she could see Calico's reasoning behind his goals. She could see Calico's dream...his vision...and it haunted her.

Penny tried to pull herself out of it, convince herself that Calico was the evil one, that he was the one in the wrong, but every time she tried, she relived her encounter with the three drunkards, and he resolve broke once more. "Daddy..." she whispered softly, breaking down into muffled sobs once more. Right there, in that moment, she wanted the one thing that Bolt could never provide; someone to not only comfort her, but to guide her, to set her confused and lost emotions back on the right track...she wanted her father back. And yet...here she was, trying to rescue him?! Penny gave a weak, choking chuckle at her own stupidity. It all made perfect sense now! How was she, a thirteen-year-old, supposed to rescue her own father from the clutches of an ultra-secretive, relentless organisation bent on world domination? How had she convinced herself that such a ridiculous, suicidal scheme was actually possible? Bolt might have powers, but in the end, they were just two creatures, facing off against what was essentially an army hell-bent on capturing her, and killing Bolt. He may be powerful, but he was not invincible, and in the end, Penny knew, if she kept this up, if would just lead to the death of not only Bolt, but herself and her father as well.

But then what was she to do? Penny knew, now more than ever, that without her father, she could never hope to survive. The last two days had been the hardest, and the worst, of Penny's life, and she simply could see no way that she could go on without her father. But where would this lead her? Where would the world go now, now that she could see no hope, no light at the end of the tunnel? Penny's mind once more drifted to Calico's plan, and, in startling clarity and suddenness, she saw where the future would lead if she gave up now...

* * * * *

_In her mind's eye, Penny saw a world, several years into the future...and she paled._

_She had no doubt that she was staring at some town in America, but it was barely recognisable. All the roads, streets, parks, shops and houses were gone. All that seemed to be left were basic little huts made out a various mix of materials. It was startlingly similar to what the media and movies suggested the slummiest parts of Africa looked like, only this was Penny's home!_

_People meandered weakly along the dirt pathways that served as road, although they, too, were barely recognisable. Every single person Penny could see were a thin as twigs, wearing rags for clothes. Even the small children were malnourished and shrunken, looking like nothing more than a mass of skeletons shifting silently through the streets. It was horrible, Penny feeling nauseous as she watched the goings-on of what looked like a war concentration camp...but what exactly were the people doing that was leaving them all so run down?_

_It did not take her long to find out. Most of the people she saw were carrying various piles of junk in their gangly arms, remains of the society that had long since been destroyed. They were gathering everything, every last piece of junk, every natural resource, and placing it in a small convoy of trucks, all emblazoned with the familiar green cat's-eye that symbolised Calico's organisation. And with that, Penny's greatest fears were confirmed...this was the world, the world that Calico had control over...this is what the world would become, should Calico succeed!_

_As Penny watch the scene in absolute, disgusted horror, she noticed one gangly man dump his pile in the back of the truck, before making to walk off, only to have two burly guards standing by the truck leap at him, throwing him violently to the ground, while two more pointed strange, bulky guns at the crowd, forcing them to stay back. As Penny watched the man lift his head out of the muddy path, she gasped with recognition. "Dad!"_

_One of the guards punched the future Richard in the face...hard. "Hand it over!"_

_"Please..." Richard wheezed pathetically, holding his arms up defensively. "Please, just - "_

_He was cut off as the second guard punched him in the gut, winding him. "He said, hand it over!"_

_"Please, it's...it's not for me!" Despite his pleas, Richard weakly dragged a shaking hand into the remains of his shirt, reaching for something concealed inside it. "Please...it's for...it's for my...my daughter...please..."_

_Penny gasped at the mention of herself, looking around wildly for any sign of her future self. When she found it, her shock and horror increased beyond anything she could possibly have imagined. There she was, obviously older, but her gangly, skeletal appearance left no doubt that she was living on the verge of death. Her future self watch the situation with her father with a resigned helplessness, knowing that there was nothing she could do. It was obvious to Penny that her future visage had seen this sort of thing several times before, and had learned to accept it. But as the scuffle between Richard and the guards continued, Penny saw something else that drew her attention...Bolt!_

_If it was at all possible, Bolt was in even worse shape than anyone else. Penny could see his ribs poking through his skin and fur, and he was so shrunken it did not seem possible that his thin little legs could support him. And to make matters worse, he was tied to a makeshift cart of sorts, which was filled with piles of the various junk that seemed to be destined for some sort of factory Calico had._

_And then Penny noticed his mark._

_Despite the appalling conditions which everyone seemed to be subjected to, Bolt's fur was somehow still a distinct, in not quite pure, shade of white. And when she looked for the mark, she saw something that hurt her far more than anything else so far. The mark was gone. Bolt's powers were no more._

_It seemed that Calico had found his ultimate victory. Not only had he secured his spot as ruler of the world, with all of humanity slaving away on his every whim, but he had also denied his biggest threat the one thing which made him special. Bolt was once again just a normal dog, destined to serve Calico until his dying breath..._

* * * * *

Penny snapped back to the real world, finally managing to pull herself from the horrific, self-induced vision of Calico's apocalypse, so sickened by what she saw she actually threw up, coughing up the remains of her last meal, although it did not expel the horrific memory of that vision from her head.

For Penny, the worst part was, even though the vision she had was just that; a vision conjured by the remains of her tattered emotions and her imagination, she knew, deep within her heart, that the vision was real. If Calico's plan was allowed to grow into reality, that was what would become of the world. Calico would reduce the world to a shattered ruin.

And as Penny's mind remembered the three men that had attempted to assault her, and her mind returned to her grief-stricken sense of hopelessness, she finally saw everything in complete and utter clarity. Yes, the world was full of troubles wrongs, and horrors...but so, too, was it full of hope, and possibility, and joy. People like her father, Joe, and Larry were a testament to that. And with that knowledge, Penny finally saw her task; she finally knew what she must do: It was her, and Bolt - and no-one else - that could stop Calico. Only the two of them, together, would be able to stop Calico's mad antics, and avoid a world of despair and slavery. It had come to this, and it was them, and them alone...humanity's final, secret hope.

And she would not fail them...Penny refused to allow herself to fail all those people she cared about. Joe...Larry...Richard...and Bolt. For all of them, she would do it...she would not stop until Calico's plans lay in ruins, and her father back and safe once more.

Penny looked down at Bolt, who was sitting beside her, seemingly wanting to help her through her mess of broken emotions, and yet unable to do so. Very slowly, Penny managed a weak smile as she pulled Bolt close, stroking his back gently. "It's just you and me, Bolt," she whispered, a strange, tender determination lacing her voice. "We are all my father, and everyone else, has...but we can do it, I know we can!"

Very slowly, Penny pulled herself to her feet, Bolt yapping up at her happily. She was back...and she was determined to succeed. There was no chance of her giving up any more. With one last look to Bolt, she starting striding back towards the street, a strange, implacable hope filling her. She could do this...and now she knew it, beyond any doubt. She may have only a slim chance...but it was a chance, and she would take it.


	27. Chapter 26: Integration

**Chapter 26**

**Integration**

Bolt lay on a park bench, watching the ocean waves as he waited for Penny to figure out their next move. He felt weird watching the massive expanse of water launch itself at the sandy beach, rising several yards up it, only to retreat back, before trying again. The constant, unstoppable back-and-forth motion was somehow immensely relaxing and soothing for him, and helped him contain the constant energy that had built up inside him...energy that seemed to be positively radiating from Penny.

For the past few days, since that strange attack on Penny that Bolt could not explain or understand, Penny had initially seemed like she would break under the strain of those past days since their journey. But, in the middle of that dirt lot, she had found some sort of drive inside her, some spark of hope that gave her the will to move on, and the days since then had been filled with a strange sense of hope, as if, no matter what happened, no matter what got in their way...that they would succeed. Bolt was initially sceptical of Penny's new-found hope, but after a day around such strong optimism, he could not but be swept along by it himself. It was as if, through the sheer force of their will and hope alone, that they had doomed Calico to certain failure.

But now all they had to do was find him.

That was a task that, every time Bolt thought about it, caused his sense of hope to fade significantly. How, exactly, were they supposed to find this man? They had come across him by complete chance at Highton, and Bolt knew that this 'Bolivia Facility' was not referring to the country. In the end, all Bolt could see was a series of clues to their goal, but none of those clues seemed to make any sense. They were being lead...well, nowhere, and that, more than anything, was what was infuriating Bolt. Like Penny, he knew that the answer was hidden among everything he knew...but he just could not find it! And Penny seemed to be having less luck than he was. With every day that went by, every town that they visited, she would head to the local library, leave Bolt tied outside, and disappear inside the human's knowledge centres for hours at a time, only to come back out looking like she was on the verge of throwing a violent tantrum. Whatever sources Penny was using to try and find Calico, they were showing no results.

Bolt once again looked out to the beach, almost instantly calming himself as he watched the waves roll along the shoreline, various human families splashing and mucking around out on the sand as well. The sight of all these other humans going about their usual daily lives, without a care in the world, with absolutely no knowledge of the struggle that he and Penny were fighting for their very freedom, made Bolt think back to the days of joy and innocence when he and Penny had spent day after day doing nothing but playing, walking, and generally enjoying each other's company. It may have been only about a week since those days had ended, but to Bolt, it felt like their journey, and their mission, had already been going for months now. Bolt struggled to bring up genuine memories of their past, struggled to feel that sense of innocent joy and happiness. He shook those feelings away, anyway. The past was the past, but here...now, he had to protect Penny, that was all that mattered. Calico had ruined their lives, and Penny was out to stop him. All that mattered to Bolt was keeping Penny safe, for he knew that without her...his life would hold no more purpose.

Bolt was so lost in his thoughts, that he never noticed a small, furry figure make it's way up to him, sneaking up slowly on him, before it finally jumped up onto the bench, coming up right next to him...

"Hey, there, sleepy!"

Bolt jumped to his feet in an instant, startled out of his thoughts by the voice. His first instinct was to call upon his powers and attack, believing for a moment that whoever had spoken was threatening Penny, but he managed to stop himself. The voice was innocent and cheery...whoever it was had no knowledge of him or Calico. Bolt finally looked at the source of the voice next to him, which turned out to be a little Jack Russell Terrier, staring up at him, his whole body brimming with energy so excessive it looked like the little black-and-white dog was going to explode. Bolt simply sat there, on the bench, not quite sure how to respond to this little dog's greeting. While there had been other dogs in Silverlake, Bolt had generally stayed away from them, finding that he just could not relate to them in any way. Even though he had been normal back then, he still held a certain level of dedication to Penny that went well above and beyond what the other dogs considered normal. In the end, he decided to keep his distance from them, and they reciprocated. He was too dedicated, too protective of Penny, to be able to make friends of his own among the other animals...and that was the way he liked it.

The terrier, meanwhile, continued to watch Bolt, as if waiting for him to say or do something. When he realised that Bolt was too startled, and too perplexed to respond, he decided to take the initiative. "What? Did I scare you?" Bolt still did not respond, struggling to figure out exactly what he was supposed to say or do. "If I did, sorry. How 'bout we start over, huh? So...hi!"

"Uhh..." Bolt was left feeling extremely awkward. Jack Russells were hyper-active little dogs at the best of times, and this one seemed to be particularly energetic. It was all Bolt could do to keep up with the little guy's rapid yapping. "...hi," he finally managed, deciding it was probably best to at least try and talk with him.

"I'm Zippy," the terrier declared, seemingly ecstatic that Bolt had replied. "I think you can tell why." Zippy chuckled as Bolt let out a small, concealed sigh of exasperation. "So...what's your name?"

"Wha...?" Bolt was still trying to catch up with Zippy's rapid conversation. He took a few moments to let his brain process the entire conversation, before finally catching up, and deciding that, whilst Zippy was going to be annoying, he might as well humour the little guy. He did not exactly have anything better to do, anyway. "Bolt...my name's Bolt."

"Bolt, huh?" Zippy seemed to think for a moment. "Sounds fast. Let's see if you're as fast as your name, huh?! Race you to that bin!" The moment he finished speaking, Zippy was gone, tearing off through the small park settled just behind the beach, shooting towards the nearest bin.

Bolt just watched him, absolutely bewildered. Having never played games with any of the other dogs in Silverlake, he had never grasped the concept of such things being simple, light-hearted fun. As such, he did not follow Zippy, but rather just continued to sit there, watching the terrier, the bewildered expression seemingly stuck to his face. What, exactly, was he supposed to do? But in the end, Bolt decided it did not matter; he had to protect Penny...entertaining this dog would violate that vow.

Zippy, in the end, did not notice that he was racing alone until he reached the bin. "Yes! Seems you're not that..." It was only when he turned around that he noticed Bolt was still at the bench, continuing to watch him with that look of utter confusion. "Hey, Bolt, why you just sitting there?! Come on, why aren't you - "

"Zip, are you annoying the visitors again?"

Bolt's confusion turned into mild frustration when he heard a second voice. _Great, more distractions._ He quickly found that the source of the second voice was, of all things, a young female German Shepherd. She quickly moved up to Zippy's side, a disapproving frown on her face. "What are you doing this time, huh, Zip?"

"Hey, Mud! I'm just trying to play with this Shepherd, Bolt...but he won't play!" Zippy jabbered in a sort of dissapointed excitement. Bolt realised, just by listening to that sentence, the the terrier's reserves of energy were, indeed, endless.

The Shepherd - Mud's - ears pricked up upon hearing that Zippy was playing with another Shepherd. She immediately turned and, upon seeing Bolt, smiled. "Well, hello, there...Bolt, is it?"

Bolt simply nodded, trying to show her that he had no intention of playing, or even conversing with either of them. He had to focus on protecting Penny, and finding out where Calico was hiding the Father. But Mud, it seemed, had other ideas. She said something to Zippy that Bolt did not hear, before she, alone, came up to the bench, leaping up next to Bolt, who took a few cautious steps backward, looking back at Penny, across the table from where he was standing. She had fallen into a light nap several minutes earlier, and showed no signs of waking up. Bolt, still utterly perplexed, did nothing but watch as Mud came up to him, sniffing him all over, as if trying to determine who he was from his smell.

She finally looked up at him. "And they call me Mud! What happened to you, pooch?"

Bolt was growing even more confused, and that was on top feeling terribly awkward, being so close to another dog. "What? What do you mean?"

Now it was Mud's turn to be confused. "You! You may be a German Shepherd, like me, but you're covered in dirt and mud! When was the last time you bathed?"

"What are you talking about, I'm not a - " Bolt stopped his species protest when he looked down, and for the first time since he and Penny had set out on this adventure, saw his own body. Now he understood what Mud was on about. His fur was a mess. Dirt and mud and various gunk clung to every strand of fur on his body. It was so thick, and covered him so completely, that there was no way of telling that the fur underneath was actually white. Also, Bolt noticed, the mud almost completely hid his mark. All he could see, and that was only if he looked really closely and carefully, was a very faint lightning-bolt shape of his left flank, but it was extremely difficult to make out. He looked from himself back to Mud and knew that, to anyone who looked, he was not a White Shepherd, but just your standard, much more common German Shepherd. "Oh," he finally said, realising what Mud was talking about. "Uh, well, it's..."

"What?" Mud said impatiently, before laughing softly. "What's up with you, anyway? You won't play with Zip, and you don't seem to want to talk to me!"

Bolt finally decided to be a little more direct. "Look, I don't want to be rude, but I really can't go anywhere or do anything with anyone. I have to protect my person." With that, Bolt jumped up onto the table itself, moving a little closer to Penny. This interaction with Mud was getting more and more awkward by the second, and Bolt just wanted her to go away and leave him to do his job.

But Mud, it seemed, was just as stubborn as he was, and was not going to give up that easily. "Protect?" she repeated. "From what? If this is your person, who or what would possibly want to harm a little girl? Come on, guy, won't you at least _try_ to talk to me? I haven't seen another Shepherd around here for ages!"

"Look, Mud," Bolt sighed. How did he explain his situation to an outsider, without looking like a total nut case. "I...I never did get along well with...other dogs. I'm not...you wouldn't understand. I'm not...normal."

"Well, of course you aren't normal!" Mud replied sarcastically. "You're covered in muck and don't seem to want to interact with anyone other than your person! You would have to be one of the strangest dogs I've ever met...and that's saying a lot!" She glanced over a Zippy as she spoke, before looking back at Bolt, to see how he reacted to that.

Bolt could not help but smile at Mud's attempts to entice a conversation out of him. He still felt immensely awkward in her presence, and yet, at the same time, there was something about her persistence, and the fact that she seemed to accept his strangeness, that he could not help but have a certain curiosity about.

And Mud could see this as well. "Come on, Bolt. Can hang out with me and Zippy for a bit." She paused, then added. "Or perhaps just me, your choice. It'll be fun...I promise!"

Bolt stopped, now seriously considering her proposal. Mud seemed like a very interesting girl to hang out with, and Bolt was sorely tempted, but, at the same time, there was still Penny...

Mud seemed to see Bolt's thoughts. "Come on, Bolt! Your person'll be fine! Surely she can go without you for just a little while?"

Mud's constant pestering made Bolt think about it, and sure enough, Bolt realised that Penny was in no immediate danger. They had not seen a single trace of Calico's men since the incident at Keiton Gorge, and besides, how could Calico's men possibly recognise them? Not only was Bolt so filthy he now resembled a German Shepherd, but Penny had also changed her appearance over the last couple of days. It seemed that, knowing that Calico's men would by now have a description of her appearance, she had decided it was time to change it. Her typical red hoodie and jeans were gone, replaced by a a black long-sleeved shirt and skirt, with striped stockings. Bolt guessed that she simply disliked clothing that exposed her skin to the elements, even in warmer weather. Her hair had also changed, the usual firey red sheen now replaced but a much more sombre brown. If she had looked like a normal teenager before, she was now the ultimate stereotype. But those minor changes served to hide her identity well...Bolt himself sometimes struggled to recognise her. And with that idea, Bolt knew...she would be in no danger, even if he left her side for a short time. Besides, she knew how to take care of herself, and Bolt was curious as to what this German Shepherd might show him.

"Alright," he finally said, causing Mud to beam as he leapt down from the table. "Just you and me, Mud, let's go."


	28. Chapter 27: Shadows of the Past

**Chapter 27**

**Shadows of the Past**

Bolt spent a good portion of the day walking along the beach with Mud, learning about her and about regular dogs in general.

One of the first things Bolt learned was that Mud's actual name was Mindy, but her life as a stray, wandering the streets of this town, called Pentland Beach, and her general appearance as a German Shepherd had lead to her being nicknamed Mud by most who knew her. In the end, Bolt decided to use her old name, finding, in a strange part of his mind, that he found Mud to be too demeaning for her. Mindy seemed to feel a little awkward at the use of her old name initially, but soon grew used to it. In time, Bolt found that he actually liked Mindy...she was the first dog that seemed to understand that he was unusual, and accept it. She spent some time trying to explain to Bolt how regular dogs generally interacted with one another, but Bolt's mind was strained enough as it was with recent events, and Mindy eventually gave up.

Eventually Bolt had asked Mindy about her past, and there her mood grew darker. Bolt found out that she was a little over four years old, and, even in that short time, she had been through a lot. She had spent her entire life here in Pentland Beach, living out the first three years of her life with her person, a young boy who Bolt gathered was not all that different from Penny, who lived with his parents. But not long after Mindy had turned three, someone had invaded their home, apparently seeking to rob the family. Something had gone horribly wrong in the process, and by the time Mindy had forced her way into the house, the man had disappeared, and the boy, along with his parents, were dead, all shot. Bolt felt for Mindy, and could tell that, while she put on a brave face, that she still had not recovered from the immense trauma of that night. She had, in the end, left the house and spent the rest of her life, up until this point, wandering the streets of the town as a stray, nicking food from dumpsters and slowly pulling together the shattered fragments of her life. She admitted openly that she was still in the process of repairing her broken spirit, but she did seem genuinely pleased in Bolt's company, as if his companionship was placing another piece of her back into place.

Then Mindy asked Bolt about his life, about his past, and here, Bolt froze. In the short time he had spent with Mindy, he had already grown to like her, but how could he explain what he was going through? In the end, Bolt realised that there was no way of explaining it to her, at least not without making himself look like he was nuts. In the end, he was forced to lie. He told her about his past, the five years he had spent with Penny and her Father in Silverlake, but when he reached the point where he had been given his powers, he drifted slightly from the truth. He did not so much lie as simply leave out key segments of the tale. He made no mention of his powers, instead saying that a nasty man called Calico had taken Penny's father captive, and that the two of them were searching for him. He explained to her the clues they had received which referred to Bolivia, and at that, Mindy seemed to jump up.

Bolt looked at her curiously, until she finally responded. "I think I saw something about this Calico man!" she declared, causing Bolt's excitement to grow. Was this it? Was this the break he had been looking for? "Yes, it was in one of those human information things...newspapers, I think! Come on!" She raced off, Bolt rushing to catch up.

The two of them continued their conversation as they ran. "So...did you say that you're _not_ a German Shepherd?" Mindy asked, looking at Bolt.

"No, I'm not!" Bolt replied. He did not know why he was being so open and forward with her. All he knew was that he felt a connection towards her that was rivalled only by his connection to Penny, which Bolt knew would never be out-done. "I'm a White Shepherd! My fur is actually white under this dirt!"

Mindy seemed intrigued by this fact, although she did not pursue it further. "So, you seem to be really close to your person...Penny," she said instead. "How come the two of you are so close?"

Bolt opened his mouth to reply, but stopped. Why were they so close? Bolt did not have a direct answer. "I...I don't know. I guess we...she's raised me since I was a pup, and we get along so well...we understand each other, more than I can understand other dogs."

If Mindy was intrigued by Bolt's declaration that he was in fact a White Shepherd, then this revelation completely fascinated her. "But don't you wish you had...someone else? Another dog to talk to if Penny wasn't there?"

"Penny's always been there for me," Bolt replied instantly. "I've never needed anyone else. Besides, all the other dogs I ever knew found me too different to bother trying to mix with me."

Mindy shook her head as she slowed down, Bolt noticing that they had reached a small back alley, and that Mindy was making her way towards a dumpster. "You are a strange one, Bolt. But then, that's what I like about you. You're different from all the others."

Bolt was once again left pondering Mindy's words in silent confusion as she rumaged through the dumpster, eventually pulling out a large collection of paper with black writing on it; a human newspaper. Clutching the paper in her moth, she jumped back down the the ground and sat down beside Bolt, dropping the paper and flicking through it with her paw, obviously searching for something. "I know it's in here somewhere, Bolt, just give a second...yes! Here!" Pushing the page down flat with her paw, Mindy then turned the paper so that Bolt could read it.

Bolt stared at Mindy in mild surprise. Like most dogs, over the years he had learned to read very small snippets of human writing, much like he had taught himself to learn human language. His powers had only enhanced both of those, but he had always thought he was one of the only dogs who could do this. "You can read these things?" he finally asked.

"Not really," Mindy shrugged. "I can only pick out a word or two. But when you mentioned Calico, I knew I had seen the name before. Go on, read it."

Shrugging off his own mild surprise, Bolt looked down at the paper, reading the article Mindy had indicated.

_CALICO TECHNOLOGY'S SUPER ANNOUNCEMENT_

_In a stunning move yesterday, the ultra-secretive technology and research company Calico Technology revealed that they had finally succeeded in building a working prototype of the world's most advanced super-computer, the CTT-5000, at their 'Bolivia' facility in northern Mexico. The CEO of the company, Doctor Robert Calico, made the revelation himself at..._

Bolt looked up from the article, his eyes going wide. He did not understand much of it...his reading skills were one of the few things his powers did not enhance, but he had understood enough. 'Bolivia' was actually the _name_ of the facility...the building itself was located in Mexico, just south of the States! And Penny's journey had taken them to the south, his person having guessed, correctly, that Bolivia was a reference to something to the south! "This is it..." he whispered, triumph filling him! He finally had it, the clue he needed. They knew where the Father was being held at last! Finally, their rescue-and-revenge mission could begin in earnest. He turned to Mindy, beaming at her. "Thank you, Mindy! this is just what we've been looking for!" He grabbed the newspaper in his mouth. "I've gotta get this to Penny!"

And it was there, in the midst of his triumph, in that small, dark alleyway, that several things happened at once.

Bolt became aware of the danger a mere fraction of a second before it happened. His only clue was the faint sound of something jumping off of the rooftops above him. Realising that something was not right, and that he was in danger, Bolt's instincts went into overdrive, and he leapt aside...just as a dark blur landed hard on the ground, right where he had been that millisecond before. Bolt turned, beginning to draw on his powers and face whatever it was that had just tried to crush him, but froze.

In the second that he had spent drawing on his powers, the dark shadow had already moved. It was already rushing straight for Bolt's face. All Bolt had time to do was register two outstreched paws coming for his face, razor-sharp claws extended, before the creature was upon him. Next thing Bolt knew, he had been flung off his feet, sent tumbling to the concrete floor, his power slipping from his grasp as he rolled along the concrete, unhurt but disoriented by the blow. He got back to his feet...only to feel the creature latch onto his back, yelping loudly as he felt four sets of claws digging into his skin, hard. Whatever was attacking him, Bolt realised, fear beginning to clutch at him, they knew what they were doing.

His burst of fear ended up being Bolt's undoing. It caused him to panic, to freeze for a critical second, a second which the creature used to full effect. As Bolt broke out of his panic, he felt a set of small jaws close down on his neck, and realised instantly, with a dreadful sense of finality, that it was already over. The assassin was too quick, to skilled. In a final, desperate act, Bolt tried to draw on his powers, but he knew that the milliseconds it would take would be milliseconds too long, as he felt the jaws clamping down tighter, preparing to either snap his spine, or cut some vital blood vessel and seal his fate...

But just as Bolt sensed the end, he felt a large presence rush past him, ruffling his matted fur, and collect up the creature that was inches from killing him, sending it sprawling away from him. Bolt instantly started to hyperventilate, his mind falling into a state of shock at how close he had come to death, as he put a paw to his neck, as if to try and make sure that everything was fine.

But Bolt threw off the shock and looked around, trying to figure out what had just happened. When he saw it, his shock and fear turned quickly to dread. Mindy was on her back, trying desperately to fight off a black cat that was pouncing and slashing at every part of the German Shepherd it could reach. Mindy had just saved Bolt's life, but in doing so had left herself at the cat's mercy. And Bolt tell, just from his brief, one-sided fight, that this cat knew what it was doing. Mindy, on the other hand, had obviously never gone beyond simple play-fights during her puppyhood, and as such was in just as much, if not more trouble than Bolt had been. Even as Bolt watch, Mindy managed to catch the cat in the face with a well aimed kick. The cat, however, had anticipated it, and slipped aside, causing to blow to glance off her cheek instead. This only seemed to enrage the cat, which then attack the leg with an untold level of fury, Mindy crying out as she received several deep scratches, before the cat bit down on the leg, Mindy howling with the pain. The cat may have been a gangly-looking thing, but she held an untold strength, particularly in her jaws.

Hearing Mindy's howl, something snapped inside of Bolt. A part of him surfaced that generally did not do so unless Penny was in mortal danger. Calling upon his power, Bolt initially though of using his Heat-Vision, and cutting the cat in two right there and then, but stopped himself. If he hit Mindy, he knew he would never forgive himself...it would be almost as bad as if he had accidentally lasered Penny. Instead he charged forward, moving with blinding speed, before leaping at the offending cat, which looked up at him just as he put off al his strength into his skull...and headbutted her, hard.

The cat was sent flying across the alleyway, yowling as it went, before crashing into a small, metal dustbin, which completely caved in with the impact, before toppling over, the cat rolling over it and hitting the ground, dazed and bruised. But Bolt was not done. He charged after the cat once more, and just as it got back to its feet, he locked his jaws around the creature's neck, hard, causing it to gasp, before throwing it bodily against the nearest concrete wall.

The cat struggled, choking slightly, but Bolt did not relent. It was time he got some answers. "Who are you?!" He boomed, both his eyes and his voice blazing with fury.

"I..." Bolt realised the cat was female, and she struggled to get her words past her constricted throat, but Bolt did not care for either. "I am...the Shadow...of Calico. I'm his...his greatest assassin!" Even at Bolt's mercy, her pride was undiminished, it seemed.

"Why are you here?!" Bolt demanded.

"Why do you think? I'm here...to kill you!"

"Why?!"

The Shadow of Calico simply laughed between choking gags, at least until Bolt pressed her bodt harder into the concrete, and she squealed with pain. "Why?!"

"Ow, hey! Because...you are...a threat...to my master's plan!" At that point, the Shadow smiled. "And...his plan...will not fail!" With that, she managed to free a pinned paw, slashing at Bolt's face, striking him across the nose. Bolt yelped, recoiling instinctively away from the blow, causing him to drop the Shadow, who immediately bounded away, cackling as she went. "You can't win, Bolt!" she yelled behind herself, before disappearing into the shadows, vanishing as quickly as she had appeared.

Bolt looked all around, trying to find the cat. "Get back here, cat!" His nose twitched with the lingering pain from the strike, but Bolt ignored it, continuing to look for the cat.

Then a pained whine caught his attention. Bolt spun, and instantly found Mindy, back near the street, trying to walk, but limping heavily on her injured leg. "Mindy!" Bolt ran to her side, worried. She had saved his life, he realised. "Mindy, what is it?"

"Ah!" Mindy cried, once again trying, and failing, to put weight on the leg. "Damn cat's busted my leg! Don't worry, Bolt, I'll be fine, it just hurts, that's all." She then turned to face Bolt, confusion written all over her face. "What was that all about, anyway? I heard something about that Calico man, and some sort of 'plan'...what's going on?"

"I can't explain, Mindy!" Bolt said hurriedly, knowing he could not tell her the truth, and that he had to get out of here before the cat decided to come back. "It's a long story, and I have to go! Every minute I stay here puts you in danger...but we need to find you a vet first!"

Whatever Mindy's reply was going to be, it was lost in another yelp, as she slowly limed on her three good legs back towards the street. But on the way, she stopped, grabbing the newspaper that Bolt had dropped when the Shadow had attacked him. She then dropped it at Bolt's feet, smiling weakly at him. "Go, Bolt. This obviously had something to do with your mission to save Penny's father, so go!"

Bolt made to grab the newspaper, but stopped. "What about you?" he asked. He felt wierd saying it. Never before had he felt in any way close to anyone except Penny...except maybe the Father. But here, now, he realised he regarded Mindy as a friend. "You're hurt."

"Don't worry about me, Bolt. The vet's not too far from here, I'll make it. Besides, I knew you were going to have to leave this place soon enough, anyway...it's probably better that we don't get too close, otherwise you'll never leave, and Penny'll never see her dad again."

Bolt knew that she made sense, and yet, some small part of him wanted to protest her, wanted to go with her, to make sure that she got the help she needed. But in the end, he shook it off; Penny was more important. He grabbed the newspaper and made to leave, but stopped one last time. "Thanks, Mindy...for everything." And before Mindy could offer up a reply, Bolt left, to give Penny the incredible news.


	29. Chapter 28: Bolivia

**Chapter 28**

**Bolivia**

The last few days had been some of the most hopeful Penny had experienced since their mission had begun.

When Bolt had come up to her, scratched and bruised, his nose bloody from a deep scratch on it, she had only just woken from her nap on the bench. She had no idea what had happened, and had initially been fearful that bolt was more seriously hurt than he seemed to show. But aside from the scratches on his nose, he seemed fine. She was even more confused when he had dropped a newspaper in front of her, seemingly pushing her to read it. After staring at him for a full minute, wondering if he was ill or something, she finally complied.

When she saw the article on Calico's supercomputer, and the revelation of exactly what the Bolivia facility was, and where it was, Penny was shocked. Here, in the newspaper, the damn newspaper, was the answer! It was right in front of her this whole time! And Bolt, of all creatures, had found it! This was it, she had finally found where Calico was hiding...and where he was keeping Richard! She had a lead, and she took it!

That very afternoon, Penny and Bolt had taken off, heading straight for Mexico. But before she had gotten very far, she had realised several dangers. The first was that, quite simply, it was too obvious, and Penny had been the victim of enough traps for a lifetime. She was going to have to be extremely careful...which meant no planes. If Calico had been able to use Highton street cameras to try and stop her escaping, he probably had to ability to monitor flights into Mexico. She finally decided to go on foot, which was not going to be that bad, anyway. Pentland beach was not that far from the border, being on the southern coast of the States. And with her scooter having some sort of self-renewable power source, and with Bolt's powers, they could make good time anyway. On top of that, she also realised that there would almost certainly be traps and ambushes waiting for her at the Bolivia facility...if she wanted to get in, she was going to have to approach this in a new, unexpected way.

But over the course of the trip, Penny could not help but notice that Bolt was acting strangely. He seemed down, as if he was carrying some sort of deep-seated regret, a thought which was only enhanced by the fact that Bolt had an odd tendency to keep looking back, particularly over the first day since they left Pentland Beach. It worried Penny for no other reason than, quite simply, Bolt had never acted this way before. He seemed to always run around with the idea that his place was firmly by her side, but now...it seemed that he had left something behind at the beach. But, after a couple of days, as they crossed the border into Mexico, Bolt seemed to throw off his regret, and was soon back to his normal, power-enhanced self, although Penny still remained curious as to what had caused Bolt to have second thoughts. But by the time they found the location of the Bolivia, deep in a rainforest on the northern stretches of Mexico, Penny had forgotten about it, as it seemed, Bolt had as well.

And now here she was, running with Bolt alongside a dirt track cut into the rainforest, knowing she was closing in on the Bolivia facility. It had taken her a lot of time and effort to figure out where this place was, since Calico guarded its location so secretly, even if people knew it was somewhere in Mexico, but here, now, it all seemed worth it. She was close...really close, to finding her dad, she could feel it. All it would take was one last test, one last effort, and they would be back together, at last able to run and hide, Calico's dream never to be fulfilled.

Penny snapped her mind back to the present as she ran through the dense foliage beside the dirt road through the forest, Bolt right beside her, as always. She stayed close enough to the road so that she could follow it without getting lost, but far enough away so that any vehicles passing along it, or guards watching it, would not notice her. She slowed as she saw lights up ahead, bright against the evening twilight, a gloom that was enhanced by the dense forest canopy, which left the forest floor covered in a dense darkness, one that Penny struggled to see through. _But then that was the point, _she constantly reminded herself. If she was struggling to see, the guards must be having just as much trouble as she was.

She continued through the gloom, until finally she got close enough to the source of the bright lights to see what was causing it. She stopped, using a large, leafy bush to conceal herself, before peering through it, smiling slyly to herself when she finally beheld Calico's Bolivia facility.

She had found it!

As far as Penny could see, the entire facility was made up of one small, squat building, which was made entirely of concrete, and about the size of an oversized garage. It was nothing more than a security checkpoint, where any people and vehicles entering the facility were forced to go through some serious inspections before being allowed in. The inside of the building was not visible to Penny, lost in a bright haze of white artificial light. It was impossible to tell what was going on, but one fact perplexed Penny: This facility was meant to house the world's most advanced super-computer, and yet, judging by the outer size of the building, it did not look big enough to fir any more than two rig trucks in it, let alone a super-sized, super-advanced computer. Something definitely was not right.

Then, as Penny watched, a small truck rumbled past Penny's secluded hiding spot, rolling to a stop at the security checkpoint. Penny watch as the security team guarding the base did a very thorough inspection of the truck. Two men searched the cabin of the truck, and two more went to the back to search the storage container. Two more, still, walked around the truck, using mirrors mounted on poles to inspect the undercarriage of the truck, looking for any anomalies of stowaways. After those two had circled the truck, a third man actually got down on his hands and knees, and manually inspected the undercarriage. Only when the security guards, all of whom were equipped with Calico's black full-body suits, and wielding bulky, dangerous-looking guns in their hands, were completely certain that the truck was what it said it was, did they let it into the facility itself. Penny watched in dissapointment as she saw the truck rumble on into the massive doorway. There was absolutely no way, given the exceptionally thorough security here, that she was going to get in that way. And since this was the only building, this was the only entrance. Penny's hopes plummeted as the realisation hit her.

It had all been too obvious, she realised. She could see it now, Calico had used the public announcement of his super-computer as a lure, to try and get Penny to try and sneak into the facility, where the enhanced security would most certainly nab her. Penny's previous encounter with traps and ambushes had given her the caution that had saved her from walking into this trap, but at the same time, it allowed her to see that her situation was hopeless...there was simply no way into the facility.

But then, as Penny continued to watch the truck as it entered the facility, her mouth fell open. The truck was descending into the floor as it rolled on forward! It took Penny all of two seconds to figure it out...this building was not the facility, it was simply an entryway, a ramp that lead underground...the facility - the entire facility - was actually hidden beneath her own two feet! For a quick moment, Penny considered the possibility that there was a second entrance, another way into the facility, but the thought was obliterated almost as soon as it had struck her. There had been no forks in this road...this was the one, sole entrance...and it was impenetrable.

Sighing Penny, tried to think...tried to find some weakness, some hole in their security system, a way to sneak past them and get into the facility. But as darkness began to completely engulf her and the facility, the last of the twilight fading away, Penny could come up with no answer. In desperation she turned back to Bolt. "Okay, boy...you have any ideas, or..." she stopped.

Bolt was gone.

Penny looked wildly around her. There had been no soft paw steps, no rustling of bushes...nothing, he had simply vanished, disappearing while she had been focusing on the truck entering the facility. She wanted to call out for him, but she knew that doing so would give away her position to all the guards at the entrance to the facility, which frustrated her even more. The situation was taking one bad turn after another. First, the facility she needed to sneak into was proving impenetrable, now Bolt had had run off, and she could not call after him! All she could do was slowly slip away from her position, and go looking for him, silently praying that she would find him quickly.

She slowly snuck around the side of the facility entrance, pushing through the dense shrubbery, moving faster as she moved further away from the security checkpoint, finally beginning to whisper loudly after Bolt, once she was certain that she could do so without the guards hearing her. Her calls and frantic searching went unanswered, and two minutes later, Penny was really starting to worry. _What if he had been found? What if he..._

She froze, listening intently. She thought she had just heard something, but she could not be sure what it was. "Bolt?" she called softly, praying she would be answered by one of the familiar calls of her beloved companion. Silence greeted her, her heart sinking...then she heard a soft whine.

If was a very low sound, Penny could barely pick it up. But she had, and in an instant, she was rushing towards the sound, abandoning any thoughts of moving covertly, just wanting to get back to her friend's side as soon as she could. She pushed past trees and through bushes in desperation as she heard another whine, this time much closer, before eventually rounding one final tree...and finally reuniting with Bolt.

But Penny forgot about her worry for Bolt the very next second...what the Shepherd had found grabbed her attention. Whatever Bolt's reasons for leaving Penny's side, he had stumbled across the top of some sort of ventilation shaft, a large, round metal manhole sticking up a foot out of the ground. It was obviously part of some sort of air flow system, which ensured that sufficient supplies of air flowed constantly through the sealed underground facility. It the only air source was the main entrance, the far extremities of the facility would fast run out of breathable air, and become death traps for anyone trying to enter them.

But Penny did not think of any of this, rather she just stared at the manhole in astounded shock. This was it...this was her way in! The thick, strong metal grating welded to the top of the manhole did not disturb Penny in the slightest. It was for exactly these sort of situations that her father had enhanced Bolt. She may worry about Bolt, but that did not mean that she would not use his abilities if the situation called for them. She looked at Bolt, amazed at his hunting skills. "Okay, boy, you found our way in, now...you think you can open it up?"

Bolt looked up at her, taking in her words for a few seconds. He still did not understand English completely, and since none of his powers had shown any signs of strengthening since the first three days on their adventure, Penny doubted that they would increase any more. He had reached his limit...his powers had peaked. But after a brief paused, he smiled up at Penny, as if he had understood, and had expected a bigger challenge. He moved up to the grating covering the manhole, taking one look at the tight mesh of inch-thick steel bars, before raising his head...and slamming it down hard against the grating with all his force.

The steel bars never stood a chance. The grating simply bent inwards at the impact with a loud clang, steel bars bending and breaking under the force of Bolt's head butt. The end result was that most of the bars had split in two and peeled away from the point where Bolt had struck them, leaving a two-foot-wide gap in the grate...easily enough for both him and Penny to slip through.

But as Penny looked down through the new hole, she realised that there was another problem; the ventilation shaft fell away into inky blackness, with no way of telling how deep the shaft was. Penny quickly pulled a flash light out of her bag, flicked it on, and pointed it down the shaft. But that only served to increase her trepidation; even the flash light's beam, which was quite powerful, simply lit up the steel walls of the shaft until they all faded into darkness once more. The shaft was deep...and sheer. Penny could not hope to climb down it herself.

Bolt, on the other hand, seemed to have an idea. He leapt up onto the remains of the grating, looking down the shaft casually, seeming to inspect it for a way down, looking for some sort of way to get down himself. Then, completely without warning, catching Penny by surprise, he leaned through the hole in the grating, and struck the steel side of the shaft with his paw. With a loud clang, his paw hit the side of the shaft with such force that he actually left a massive dent in the sheer wall.

Penny just watch the dog, curious, as he did this a few more times, each time creating deep dents in the side of the shaft. Once Bolt had created four such dents, he then pulled his paw back up, dipping his head down the shaft, inspecting his efforts, seemingly considering something. Penny realised what it was a few seconds later. "Wha...oh, no! Bolt, stop!"

But Bolt was one step ahead of her. Before Penny could stop him, he jumped down the shaft, disappearing completely down. Penny, powerless to do anything, simply stared at the point where Bolt had fallen, wondering what had come over him that would make him...

CLANG!

The massive, reverberating sound made Penny jump violently, looking wildly around herself, checking to see if anyone else had heard the loud noise. When no guards come rushing in her direction, she breathed a mild sigh of relief, before looking down the shaft, to behold a bizarre and amazing sight. There, a few feet below the rim of the shaft, was Bolt, all four legs splayed wide, his paws jammed into freshly-made dents in the shaft, held up by nothing more than the makeshift footholds, and his own strength. "Okay, wow!" Penny breathed. Of all the interesting uses Bolt had found for his powers, this was by far the most impressive...not to mention the strangest. But, in doing so, he had given himself a way down, a way to infiltrate the Bolivia facility...a way that no-one inside the company could have anticipated.

But how was she supposed to get down herself? Bolt, with his enhanced strength, would have no problems punching a ladder for himself all the way down, but Penny seriously doubted she could keep her grip on the makeshift ladder for long. And all it would take was one fall...

She stopped as Bolt yapped up at her expectantly. He had not moved, but remained where he was, looking up at Penny, as if expecting her to do something. "What?" she asked, looking at him. "What is it, boy? What do you want me to..." Her voice trailed off as she realised what Bolt's plan was. "Aw, no way!"

Bolt was waiting for her - a human - to climb onto his back! He intended to carry her all the way down the shaft! At first glance, the plan seemed absolutely crazy. Penny may be small, but she wasn't exactly light, particularly considering Bolt's size. Plus, the pack on her back, with all the gear in it, only served to make her heavier. But then, as Penny thought about it, Penny had seen Bolt do some incredible things with his powers...maybe it was possible. "You...you're sure, boy?" she asked tentatively, worried. If her weight was too much, the consequences could be very bad...for both of them.

But Bolt seemed quite certain of his abilities. So, very carefully, Penny clambered up onto the remains of the vent grating, looking down at Bolt's waiting back, her mind going haywire. _Oh, this is crazy! This is absolutely nuts! _But even so, she knew, as Bolt did, that it was the only way, and as such, she gingerly lowered herself down the shaft, very slowly and carefully placing one foot on Bolt's dirt-smeared back, testing her weight. When Bolt showed no signs of discomfort, she very slowly lowered her full weight down, until she finally let go of the shaft sides, and put her full weight onto Bolt's back. She immediately began to worry when Bolt's legs began to shake with the effort, but after a few moments, it subsided, and - very slowly and deliberately - Bolt started climbing down the shaft, punching footholds into the shaft, Penny riding on his back, the two of them slowly descending into Calico Technology's Bolivia facility...and the final hiding place of Calico and Richard.


	30. Chapter 29: The Calico Supercomputer

**Chapter 29**

**The Calico Supercomputer**

It was, quite simply, the most bizarre thing Penny would ever remember doing. Making her way down a ventilation shaft, sneaking into a high-security facility, riding on the back of her pet dog! Her mind was still trying to comprehend it all when, roughly twenty feet below the forested surface, they came to a side-shaft. Bolt carefully lowered himself below the horizontal vent, then stopped, waiting to see what Penny would do.

Penny stopped for a moment, staring down the shaft, looking for any sign of anything in that direction. Almost immediately she smiled; there was light down the shaft! That could only mean that her instincts were right! The facility was underground...and they had found it. But should they head off here...or continue on down? Penny though for a moment, then hopped off Bolt's back, crawling into the tight shaft. If they could not go this way, then they could just descend further down the main vent, and try and find another way. "Come on, Bolt!" she whispered behind her, smiling when her companion clambered up into the shaft, and was right behind her in seconds.

Penny crawled down the shaft, now leading the way, while Bolt followed along right behind her. Both their faces were set, serious. This was it, this was what their whole adventure, right across south-east America, had been for. The meeting Bruce had eavesdropped on had said that both Calico and Richard were to be found here, somewhere inside this facility. And with that, as Penny knew, this meant that this infiltration, this one night, would mean everything. One way or another, Calico's plan, and the lives of her, Bolt, and her father, rested on what would happen tonight.

"Hey, what was that?"

Penny froze instantly, realising that the light source, which was now just a few yards ahead, was the light filtering into the shaft from a nearby exit, that lead out into a hallway of some sort...the interior of the facility! But someone, it seemed, had just heard her shuffling through the shaft. Behind her, Penny could also tell that Bolt had frozen on the spot, waiting to see what would happen next.

"What was what?" a second voice answered the first, and it was then that Penny heard footsteps. Most likely two of Calico's agents heading off to some other part of the facility.

"I thought I heard something," the first voice said, more insistently.

"Like what?"

"I don't know! Like something creeping through the vents, I guess!"

Penny stopped, and waited for them to search the vent, and find her, completely trapped, the nearest cross-vent a few feet in front of her...which was closer to the opening into the hallway! With the first man alert for any other sounds, Penny could not afford to move, and yet could not afford not to! _Not fair!_ she thought angrily. _Not damn fair!_

"Probably just a lizard or something," the second voice said dismissively. "Damn things are everywhere. Don't worry about it, it's nothing."

"Yeah, yeah, you're right." Penny let out a huge sigh of relief, watching as the two shadows walked right past the vent, causing the light to flicker in front of her a couple of times. Then the man changed the subject. "What's up with that damn computer, anyway? It's not like he's going to release it...none of the stuff he makes ever does go beyond the doors of the company!"

"Ah, just another publicity stunt to make it look like he's doing something," the second voice replied. "He does have it hooked up to the entire internal network, though. Means anyone with access to the thing can look at any piece of data on Calico's network. But I mean, it not like you need a supercomputer to do that, and besides, what..."

The voices trailed away as the moved on, but Penny remained still, her excitement growing. On the way to this facility, she had encountered another snag with her plan...she had no idea where her father was being held! He could anywhere inside this place, and Penny knew it would not be a good idea to just randomly search the facility, even though that had been her initial plan. It had been her only plan. But now, with that latest revelation, she had a new plan! If Calico's supercomputer could access every part of the company's internal network, then all Penny needed to do was get to the computer, and use it. Calico would almost certainly have left an internal data trail on his network that said where her father was being kept.

But how to get to the computer? Penny had no doubt that it would be heavily guarded. And she still needed to figure out where everything was in this facility. She realised that she needed two things: A map, and a disguise that would allow her to walk freely through the corridors of this facility, whilst still keeping Bolt at her side.

And in a fleeting instant, she had an idea. "Come on, Bolt!" She raced forward, moving as quietly, yet as quickly, as she could in the tight confines of the vent, before slipping down the side-passage, and continuing on, making her way around the facility, stopping at every access point to some room or hallway, searching desperately...trying to find...

There!

Penny shuffled down the vent to the barred panel blocking her way out, looking around carefully. She found herself staring into a locker room of some sort, a place where the local workers were able to change into their various uniforms once they arrived at the facility. She could see rows upon rows of lockers, where workers obviously kept their personal effects. She also saw, hanging from a rack in the room's centre, black business suits, Calico's preferred attire for his agents, of every shape and size, for both the men and women.

_Perfect!_ Penny thought. she had a disguise, particularly if she could find some way of concealing her face. Now all she needed was a way of hiding Bolt...

She eventually found in the form of a large duffel bag, resting on one of the benches. It looked quite sturdy, and had more than enough room to fit Bolt in it. Now she was all set...all she had to do was get past these bars. That was what posed a problem, especially since, in the tight confines of the vent, there was no way Bolt was going to be able to get past her.

In the end, her only choice was to backtrack to the nearest divergence in the vents, having Bolt go one way, and herself the other, so that they could pass each other. It was very slow going, which Penny hated. Every second she spent inside this facility, her risk of getting caught went way up. But, finally, the two of them were back at the bars, only this time Bolt was in front...and he knew what to do. He grabbed to two middle bars with his front paws, and pulled hard, pushing them towards the sides of the vent. With a loud shriek of bending metal, the bars bent aside, leaving a gaping hold, which Bolt quickly crawled through, before taking up a position on the opposite side, waiting for Penny. Despite Bolt's best efforts, the gap was extremely small, and since the vent had been a tight enough fit, it took Penny a couple of minutes to wriggle her way through.

But, eventually, the two of them finally stood in the locker room, Penny moving straight for the duffel bag. She quickly checked it and, confirming it was empty, held it out to Bolt. "Alright, boy. I know this isn't going to be nice, but it's the only way. In you get." Bolt, however, didn;t seem to mind the idea at all, and within seconds was tucked inside the bag, which Penny once again zipped up, although she left a small section of the zipper open, so that Bolt would not suffocate. She then set about getting changed into one of the suits, having to spend quite a bit of time finding one that fitted her short frame. But, two minutes later, she was done, grumbling to herself in discomfort as she stared at herself in a mirror. She never liked suits, and despite searching through the entire rack, this one was still a fraction to big for her, which only served to enhance her discomfort. _Great, now I look like one of them,_ she thought in mild disgust as she put on a pair of sunglasses she had found, rather happy with the way they concealed a portion of her face, removing many of the features that gave her away as a teenager. As she stared at her reflection, she allowed herself a small smile. To anyone giving her only a cursory glance, she was just another agent, heading off her own way. And finally, just to complete the look, she tied up her short crop of dyed hair into a small bun, enhancing her professional look. Not liking the way she had to disguise herself, but happy with the results nevertheless, she finally turned away, grabbing all her other things, including her backpack, and stowing them away with Bolt in the duffel bag. Bolt initially grumbled at the tight fit, but having spent the last hour or so sneaking through vents, he soon fell quiet once more, and Penny set off, stopping only at the doorway of the locker room to pull a map from the wall.

Following the map, which told her that nearly the entirety of the bottom-most floor was dedicated to it, she headed off through the facility, the map in one hand, the duffel bag in the other. Initially she shied away from anyone she passed, fearing that someone would catch her out, but her confidence rose as no-one bothered taking a second glance at her. She was just another agent on some random errand in the facility. She got lost a couple of times, being forced to backtrack, and also began to worry about the lack of security guards. It all seemed too easy. But then she remembered the excessively thorough security at the main entrance, and realised what the point of it was: With security that strong at the gate, it meant that there was imply no need for any security deeper in. Whatever this place was, anyone allowed to enter it seemed to have full access to everything.

Taking this unexpected advantage in her stride, Penny's confidence improve, and before long she found herself heading down a wide flight of steps that lead down to the computer room. Again, no guards. This time, Penny began to worry. Surely Calico would have left guards at the supercomputer room itself...surely? Penny slowed as she reached the bottom of the stairs, standing in front of a large automatic doorway, with no sign of any sort of security. Penny stopped. Something inside her said this was a trap. The lack of internal security was meant to be a ruse to lull her into believing that she was assured her victory, and then, in the computer room, they would pounce. Penny hesitated, certain that such an eventuality was what was waiting for her beyond the door. But she had come too far to turn back...so how did she turn the tables?

The answer was simple. Calico's men would be expecting her to stride carelessly into the room, heading straight for the computer, without a thought for what other secrets to room might be offering...missing anything else that might be hiding there. So, she would approach and enter the room cautiously, ready to release Bolt on anyone who dared try to hide in the shadows.

Taking a breath, she cautiously took two steps, triggering the doors to automatically slide open in front of her. She immediately jumped aside, pinning herself against the wall next to the doors, waiting for something, Penny expected gunfire, to blast through the doorway, trying to rip her and Bolt to ribbons. Nothing came. After waiting for a few tense moments, Penny finally poked her head around the doorway, looking into the room for the first time.

The computer room was dimly lit, the only source of light being an absolutely gigantic computer display screen on the wall opposite the entrance. It was at least twenty feet high, and probably fifty wide, covering a large portion of the wall it rested upon. The light from it was strong enough that it lit the entirety of the room around it, which Penny noticed was nothing more than a roughly square-shaped room, the walls lined with various pieces of computer hardware. In fact, Penny realised, the only things in the room that did not work as some part of the supercomputer were the floor and the ceiling, both of which were made of plain, dark steel. But the basic nature of the room meant that Penny could see every part of it from the doorway. There was no-one here...the room was deserted.

Slowly, still being extremely cautious, Penny slipped inside the room, the automatic doors sliding shut behind her as she opened her duffel bag, releasing Bolt, who immediately jumped out and looked around himself, as if he was expecting danger. When he noticed nothing as well, Penny pulled her backpack from the duffel bag, and leaving the bulky, now-useless bag behind, made to cross the room, heading for the control station of the massive supercomputer.

She took three steps before she stopped. Somebody else _was_ in the room!

It was the computer that gave the lone man away. As Penny had started moving, she noticed the computer screen flicker and change, as someone performed some command from the control station. When she looked closer, she noticed that there was a large, high-backed chair in front of the controls, and that, just barely, she could she slivers of movement at its sides, as someone typed away at an unseen keyboard on the control station.

Bolt immediately noticed the presence of the man as well, and crouched low, growling as he prepare to do something. But Penny stopped him with a raised hand, watching the man to see if he had noticed Bolt's small noise...but he simply continue to work away at the computer, completely oblivious to the presence of the two intruders.

"Easy, Bolt," Penny whispered as she reached into her bag, pulling out her flashlight, of all things. "I'll deal with this one." Even though Bolt had been given his powers to protect her, she wanted to take on this one, tiny problem, if for nothing more than to prove, at least to herself, that she was not completely helpless.

Slowly, Bolt staying back and watching her curiously, Penny snuck up behind the chair, watching as the man - another Calico agent - continued to work away at the computer. Finally, when she right up beside him, holding her flashlight tightly in her hand, did she speak. "Excuse me, sir?"

The man turned, swivelling his chair casually to face her...just as Penny raised the flashlight and swung it with all the strength she had. The bulky, sturdy light connected perfectly with the man's forehead with a loud smack. The man recoiled back, the back of his head striking the metal headrest of the chair, the two blows combining to knock the man out cold. The flashlight, meanwhile, despite its bulky, sturdy casing, simply snapped clean in two, the front half of it falling to the floor, never to work again.

"Damn," Penny muttered as she inspected the half of the light she still held, before tossing it aside casually, of no use to her any more. She turned back to the unconscious man, before shoving him roughly off the chair, where he collapsed limply to the floor. "My turn," Penny said flatly as she leapt into the chair herself, Bolt coming up beside her, looking down at the man, looking slightly impressed at Penny's work.

Ignoring it all, Penny immediately set to work on the computer, her fingers moving rapidly across the keyboard as she tried to find out how to work the complex machine. She wiped everything the computer had been in the process of doing, and starting trying to gain access to Calico's internal company network.

She had barely gotten started when suddenly holes opened in the control panel, directly below her wrists, and small metal manacles, like handcuffs, shot out from the holes and snapped around her wrists, fastening them to the desk. Penny's eyes went wide with shock and horror.

Trapped!


	31. Chapter 30: The Doctor

**Chapter 30**

**The Doctor**

It was only in that brief moment of silence, as she sat there, chained to the desk, that Penny saw everything in perfect clarity. There was no supercomputer...there was no facility...and, worst of all, there was no Richard. This whole thing; the whole facility, the newspaper article, the conversation Bruce had eavesdropped on...the lot of it was all one massive trap, a huge, complex ruse designed to get Penny exactly where Calico wanted her. And once again, Penny had walked right into it!

She cursed herself, cursed her own stupidity that she could have so easily walked into this, that she did not see it coming. Every time she had confronted Calico, she had walked right into a trap he had laid for her...why should Bolivia have been any different? But as she struggled against her handcuffs, she noticed one flaw in Calico's current trap...she was alone, in the room. She may be bound, but none of Calico's men were there to stop her from doing whatever she could.

"Bolt!" she tried to swivel around in her seat, to find where her companion was. But her bound hands limited her ability to turn around, and she was left staring at the small space in front of her, between her and the massive controls of the -now obviously fake - supercomputer. But it did not matter, for Bolt was there in seconds, looking up at her, his face a twisted mess of fury when he noticed that Penny had been bound to the desk. "Bolt, get these things off, quick!"

Bolt moved immediately, jumping up on the desk, inspecting the cuffs holding her down, obviously contemplating the best way to remove them. Finally he seemed to decide, and lowered his head towards the cuffs.

"STOP!"

Both Penny and Bolt stopped at the sound of the loud, strangely accented voice. With the accent, Penny realised it could only be one man. "Calico!" she shouted back defiantly, even though she could not move, and the voice was coming from behind her, over by the sole doorway into this room.

"Very clever, girl!" Calico's voice cried in mock admiration. "Full points! You have a good ear! Now, get your dog to back off. Trust me when I stay that the filthy mutt's life depends on it!"

As if to emphasise his point, a moment later Penny heard the distinct _chink-chink_, that could only be someone cocking a weapon. She knew then, in that instant, that whoever was holding the weapon was pointing it straight at Bolt, and that they would not hesitate to fire if the dog did anything they did not want him to. "Bolt..." she said slowly, deliberately, making sure that Calico fully understood her. "Get down...now." There was no use fighting now. Penny could hear three sets of footsteps behind. Bolt may have been able to take on three of Calico's men in previous exchanges, but that was mostly because the three were distracted and scattered. In this case, all three were focused on Bolt, which meant that Bolt would be lucky if he even got to attack the first one before he was shot down. Bolt looked at Penny, as if trying to confirm what she was saying. When she nodded to him, his head lowered, knowing he was defeated. He then slowly, obviously still at gunpoint, jumped down from the desk, moving up to Penny's side.

"Oh, no no no!" Calico cried scoldingly. "Get Bolt to move away!"

"He can understand you fine himself!" Penny yelled bitterly, trying to remain defiant even though, in truth, she was scared out of her mind. What was going to happen now? But she forced herself to shake those thoughts off, to remain calm, as she turned to Bolt. "Do what he says, boy." Bolt looked up at her, the look on his face suggesting that, for the first time, he was seriously considering defying her command. But all it took was one look off behind Penny, to where the gun must still be trained on his nose, before he sadly, quietly complied, backing off into the nearest corner.

"You two!" Calico called, obviously addressing his two bodyguards. "Keep your guns on the dog! If it moves...kill it!" Penny then heard two sets of footsteps stop, the two bodyguards obviously halting, pointing whatever deadly weapons they had at Bolt, forcing him to stay where he was, while the remaining set continued to walk, coming up right behind Penny. What was Calico going to do? What was his plan? In a distant, rational corner of her mind, Penny knew that Calico wanted her alive, what she had seen of his plan had told her that much. But right now, her rational mind was not in control, and she shook terribly, waiting for the loud bang, and for the bullet that would inevitably crash through her skull, and end it, right here, right now. In that moment, the one she was certain would be her last, Penny simply closed her eyes and waited for the end...

Instead, she heard a single, loud click, and her hands come free of the desk, although they were still cuffed. _Huh? _She opened her eyes, to find herself staring directly into Calico's face! Yelling in shock and fear, she jumped back instinctively in her seat, succeeding only in smashing her head against the metal headrest, and giving herself one hell of a headache.

Calico was more terrifying up close than she had predicted. She could see the first wiry grey strands in his slicked black hair in astonishing detail, and his skin was showing the first signs of wrinkles, which only served to enhance his sinister appearance. And his eye...Penny was forced to turn away from the eye, revolted. From a distance, it was another green, cat-like eye. But up close, it glistened, and appeared slightly bloodshot, giving it a gruesome look that Penny could not bear to look at for more than a couple of seconds.

As she steadfastly looked away from Calico, she heard the man laugh softly. As he did, she looked down at her hands. Sure enough, they were bound by a pair of handcuffs, a slightly customised version of them that Calico had obviously designed. The single click she had heard must have been some kind of mechanism releasing them from the innards of the desk, whilst still keeping her hands bound together. Calico had obviously planned this trap for quite some time.

Then Calico's laughing stopped, although Penny could tell he was still smiling, obviously very pleased that his target was now, at last, in his hands. "Well, well, well. So you're the professor's little Penny, are you? You know, you have been causing me, and my company, quite a bit of trouble over the past two weeks, you really have!"

Penny tried to remain brave, remain defiant. "Where's my dad?" she demanded.

"Oh, don't worry, you'll see him, soon enough," Calico did not seem bothered in any way by Penny's defiance, almost as if he had expected it. "In fact, I'm going to take you to him right now!"

Penny was initially surprised by it, by soon fell in dejected defeat once more. It did not matter whether she saw her father any more. She was Calico's captive, and that meant that she was never going to escape him again. She started when Calico suddenly pulled away from her. "Get up!" he commanded, his light-hearted tone gone in an instant. This version of Calico was the raving madman, one that would not hesitate to kill anything or anyone to get what he wanted.

Calico continued to talk as Penny slowly hauled herself out of the chair, back to her feet, returning to his light-hearted tone. "You know, Penny, your devotion to your father amazes me. You have chased me right across, and even beyond, your precious country, trying to stop me from learning of your father's discoveries. But you still have failed to see one, important fact: I am not the enemy here, Penny! I am the hero, the saviour!"

"And you're nuts!" Penny added, looking over at where Bolt was, still stuck in the corner, two rifles trained on his head.

Calico ignored Penny's comment, and started shoving her towards the door with the barrel of a pistol that, until now, Penny had not noticed in his hands. Penny quickly tried to take in the situation, but knew it was hopeless. She had no choice but to go with him...as long as Bolt stayed alive. Then Penny thought of something. "Wait! What about Bolt?"

But Calico did not reply as he forced her towards the door, Penny struggling to look back at Bolt, still being held a gunpoint in that corner, whining after Penny. Then, finally, as they reached the door, which opened, Calico shoved Penny through, before turning back to his two bodyguards. He seemed to think for a moment, before turning back, not having said a word, and starting to shove Penny up the stairs, back into the facility.

But then, just before the doors slid shut behind them, Calico spoke, turning back once more as he did so. "Kill the dog, then meet me at the entrance."

Penny froze. _What?_ Acting without thinking, simply reacting to the situation at hand, she turned and shot back towards the doors. "No!" But Calico was faster, grabbing her by the collar and dragging her back towards the stairs. Now completely oblivious to the gun in Calico's hand, she struggling against his grip, trying to get back to the computer room. "No, no! BOLT!"

But then the automatic doors slid shut, and Penny heard, muffled by the doors, the clattering of automatic gunfire, as the two guards unleashed bullet after bullet into her companion. Within seconds, the gunfire stopped, and Penny's world was thrown into stunning silence.

They'd killed him...they'd killed Bolt...completely in cold blood, without any hint of mercy or remorse. For a few seconds Penny sat there in stunned silence, not knowing what to do, shock filling her. then she yanked violently back to the real world as Calico grabbed her, and hauled her roughly up the steps, grabbing something that looked like a PDA of some sort, and pressing a button on it. As the two of them reached the top of the stairs, Penny watch as a massive horizontal steel plate slid out from the wall beside the top-most steps, covering over the stairwell, trapping anything in the computer room inside there...for good. Then Calico pressed another button, and Penny noticed a fifteen-minute timer appear on the display of the PDA, before he once again grabbed Penny and took off, moving fast through the facility, actually carrying Penny when she continued to sit there in dumb shock.

As Penny's mind grappled with this latest turn of events, trying to catch up, she realised something was amiss. _If Bolt was already dead, why'd he seal off the room? What does he have to worry about down there...? _The answer came quickly...Bolt had survived! The gunfire had stopped, but not because they had shot Bolt. Instead Bolt had outdone his would-be assassins and killed them! "Go, Bolt," she found herself whispering as Calico continued to drag her through the facility.

Calico had heard her. "It does not matter if your precious mutt killed my men!" he growled viciously. "In the end, he will die, and I will win!"

"You don't know Bolt!" Penny replied, still defiant, even as Calico finally reached the massive vehicle access ramp, and made his up it, still dragging Penny along. "You won't be able to stop him!"

Calico laughed, although there was no amusement in it. It was a cold, evil laugh. "Just wait, little girl. Soon, you'll see what happens to those who disrupt my plans."

Penny was about to reply when she stopped. She had just been dragged outside, back into the night-time air of the rainforest...where one of Calico's small, custom-made helicopters, like the ones that had chased her and Bolt through Highton, was waiting. Before she could anything else, Penny felt Calico shove her roughly forward, towards the helicopter. "Get in!" he commanded, pointing his pistol at her nose for emphasis.

Penny did not need to be told twice. She pushed aside her anger and defiance as she slipped into the helicopter, her hands still bound, finding her self sitting in a cramped passenger hold with three fully-armed men, Calico soon climbing in beside her, sliding the side door shut. As soon as the leader was in, the helicopter powered-up, within seconds lifting into the air, shooting away from the facility, heading north, back towards the States.

It was only now, in the helicopter, that Penny finally gave in and accepted her fate. The whole time she had been under Calico's gaze, there had still been a chance that Bolt would catch up with her, free her, save her from this nightmare that was unfolding. But now...now it was over, Calico had, at long last, earned his final victory. With her at his side, Richard would spill his secrets quickly, and this time Bolt would not be able to save her. He may have all his powers, but Penny knew he could not fly. And he had no chance of following Calico back into the States...no, they had failed...she had failed. She had tried to save her father, and all she had done was condemn them both to death, or eternal slavery under Calico...Penny was still struggling to decide which one would be worse.

And, in the end, Penny wondered why she had embarked upon this ridiculous mission in the first place. She had initially told herself that it was because she could not live without her father, that she would not last in the world without his support and guidance. But here, now, she saw that those reasons were all lies. In the two weeks she had spent variously running from Calico and hunting him down, she had managed to survive...all with no-one but Bolt at her side. She saw, in that helicopter, in startling clarity, that she _could_ have survived on her own...without her father. He had left her everything, and she had proved, in those two weeks, that she had the capacity to survive on her own...

_No!_ Penny forced herself to stop, to avoid thinking that way. Even if she could have lived without her father's guidance, she could not have lived with the guilt of knowing that, in doing so, she had sentenced him to torture and death at Calico's hands. But in the end, her conscience had been her ultimate undoing. In the end, it had all been a simple of choice living with the guilt, or dying in a rescue attempt. In the end, Penny could only come to one conclusion of she finally put a stop to her whirling thoughts: That she absolutely, completely and utterly hated hindsight to death.

"Hey, Penny!" Calico called, snapping her completely out of her thoughts. Her defeated, dejected feelings still holding strong, Penny turned to face him with no thought of defiance. "Look." Calico pointed out of the helicopter's side window, back towards the base. Penny complied, looking across Calico, where she could see, amongst the lush green rainforest below them, the small block of grey concrete that was the Bolivia facility. As she looked, Calico showed Penny his PDA, and the timer that was on it.

* * *

Calico then moved the PDA away and gestured back towards the base, grinning savagely. Penny putting the pieces together in her head just as the three remaining seconds ran out. "Wha...? NO!"

But even as Penny made a desperate, reactive lunge towards the distant base, the entire section of rainforest around it simply vanished, disappearing in a bright flash of light, Penny forced to shield her eyes from it. She lowered her hands just a loud, distant roar assaulted her ears, and the flash of light vanished, replaced by an absolutely colossal fireball that engulfed not only the exposed entranced to the facility, but the entire rainforest for over half a mile from the sole building, vaporising anything in its way.

Calico had just destroyed the facility...with Bolt still inside it!

It took Penny several seconds for her brain to realise what had just happened. "No...no, no, no!" she stared at the dissipating fireball in shock, unable to comprehend the sole, terrifying truth...that Bolt had not escaped that facility...that her one companion through the last five years, was dead. "Bolt! Bolt, no!" Dimly, she registered Calico laughing, but she did not pay it any attention, focusing completely on the remains of the base, watching for any sign of Bolt.

There was nothing...no signs of life appeared in the area around the explosion at all. Finally, the truth hit Penny...and it hit her with the force of a train. She simply fell back in her seat, her body completely freezing up as she fell into mild shock.

Then the memories came. Images flashed through her head like a super-fast slide show, images of her life with Bolt. Finding him at Joe's store...raising him as a puppy...teaching him tricks...learning of his powers...their chase at Highton...trekking with him across the States...before the images suddenly stopped. Penny took only milliseconds to work out what it meant. There would be no more memories...and without Bolt, there would never be any sense of true happiness in Penny any more. Even if, by some strange miracle, she managed to escape Calico, and get back to life, there would be no recovering...Bolt was too close, he had essentially become a part of her...a part that had just been torn violently from her.

And there, in the confines of the small helicopters, as a captive of her hated enemies, Penny simply slumped in her seat and began to weep, mourning the loss of her best friend and closest companion...one that she would never get back.


	32. Chapter 31: Torn in Two

**Chapter 31**

**Torn in Two**

"BOLT!"

Bolt remained stuck in the corner of the computer room, at gunpoint, by the two guards, able to only watch in horror as Penny was dragged out of the room, calling desperately. "Hang on, Penny!" he called back desperately, watching desperately. He had just heard Calico give the order to kill him as he dragged Penny out with him, and was fast trying to form a plan in his mind as the two guards prepared to unleash their weapons on him. But as he desperately tried to clear his mind, he saw the automatic doors Calico had come in through slide shut, and knew his time was up.

He saw the two guards hold their weapons a little tighter, and knew that they were milliseconds from pulling the triggers. And there, with no other options left to him, he sprang into action. He called upon his power once more, before shooting off, darting sideways just as the guards let loose with a stream of bullets, Bolt's unnatural speed the only thing that saved him from being riddled with about fifty bullet-holes. He shot clean around the room, carving out a wide circle around the guards, disorienting them, before stopping, out in the open, in the middle of the room, behind the two guards. He noticed that they were still trying to figure out where he went, and while they were still confused, unleashed his Heat-Vision on one of them. The twin beams pierced them man's gun, along with his chest, and he collapsed, dead.

The second man, saw the first fall, and instantly whipped around, spotting Bolt quickly and opening fire without hesitation. But Bolt was already moving, zig-zagging around the room at such speed that the man simply could not keep up. It did not stop him from trying, though, until eventually his rifle ran out of bullets, Bolt smiling as he saw the look of horror on the man's face...the man knew he was beaten. Bolt showed no mercy, jumping up at him, using his powers to kick the man with such ferocity that Bolt felt his chest collapse with a loud, sickening crack. The man screamed once, then fell silent as he thudded to the ground.

The whole battle had lasted less than ten seconds, and Bolt was please that he had escaped a rather lethal situation so well, but then reality struck him, and he remembered what had happened. "Penny!" he turned back to the doorway and shot after it. He had to catch up before Calico escaped with Penny, forcing himself not to think about what would happen if he did. He had to believe...had to hope.

He reached the automatic doors, but did not wait for them to open for him, simply crashing straight through the tinted glass, blasting clean through it in an instant, before bounding up the steps...to be met with a massive steel barrier, that covered the top of the stairwell, completely blocking access back into the facility! "No!" Despite the setback, Bolt kept, moving, pouring more of his power into his strength. He'd broken through brick walls before, surely this would be...

_CLANG!_

For a few moments, Bolt's mind went completely black. He was still conscious, but his mind simply did not work. For a brief instant, he forget everything, knowing of nothing but an incredible pain in his head. After a short moment, it passed, and Bolt returned to his senses, although his vision was still dark. Whatever had happened, it hurt like hell, and almost knocked him out.

Once he had regained his senses completely, Bolt found that he was lying at the foot of the stairs, having somehow fallen back down there. As he got back to his feet, he remembered the steel barrier over the stairs, and looked up.

The barrier was still there! Bolt had hit it with absolutely everything he had, and all he had done was leave a large dent in it at the point his head had struck it. Whatever it was, the barrier was so thick, Bolt realised, that even his powers could not break through. "No..." Bolt clambered back up the stairs, back up to the steel plate, and looked at the mark he had created. It showed no signs that he had come even close to breaking through it. In that moment, Bolt knew what it was: It was Calico's fail-safe...a defence that he could use to lock Bolt inside this facility, and know that even the enhanced dog could not escape from the room. "No! No, come on, no!" Bolt pushed against the barrier with his paws, once again using everything his powers had to try and shift the massive obstacle. But no matter what he did, no matter how much strength he poured into his efforts, it just would not budge. "No, come on, move! Come on! Hang on, Penny!"

But even as he struggled against the barrier, Bolt could feel his hopes sliding...and he knew it. His desperation lead to panic, and he simply started ramming the barrier with his body, ignoring the pain that began to well up inside him. "No, Penny! Hang on, I'm coming! Come on, _move!_" But all his effort were being met with nothing, and in the end, as Bolt's powers began to wane, having finally been completely spent, Bolt hopes finally failed him...and he broke.

"Penny..." Bolt simply collapsed where he was, his fight at long last leaving him as he slid back down the stairs, his powers leaving him, his whole body aching terribly from his efforts, shaking all over with grief and despair. "Penny, I'm sorry."

It was over, he at last realised. Penny was gone, taken out of his reach, and Calico had won. Soon the world would be his...and Bolt was left with nothing. Penny and Calico were too far gone, he could not hope to catch the now. _Penny's gone..._ Those two words, more than any other, hit Bolt the hardest. What was he supposed to do now? Bolt slowly pulled himself to his feet, and, with his head bowed, completely and utterly defeated, he wandered back into the computer room. Without Penny, he had nothing; no drive, no purpose...nothing except himself, his diminished powers, which he guessed would eventually recover, and his grief and misery. The world had torn everything away from him in one, single swipe. He had nothing left to live for...and he knew it.

Now, as he wandered through the computer room, he was looking for one thing...a way to end it, to end his sorry, miserable life and put himself out of his suffering. It was only then that he looked up, and saw the computer screen.

_Facility Self-Destruct Activated_

_Time to Detonation:_

_11:04_

Bolt gave a single, sad laugh. In the end, he did not have to even bother looking for a way of finishing his existence...it seemed Calico had already done it for him. As such, he simply lay down where he was, in the middle of the computer room, and curled up, waiting for the end to finally come to him.

"I'm sorry, Penny," he whispered, trying to at least make some final, unheard amends before it ended. "I'm so sorry. I had to protect you...and I failed. Please, Penny...please forgive me..." With that, Bolt fell into a miserable daze, memories mingling with his guilt and sorrow. Memories of his life with Penny flashed through his mind, all of them playing on his misery and guilt, making him feel worse with each memory he relived, his despair climbing until it felt like his heart, and his whole body, was going to explode. "No more!" he finally roared into the empty silence of the room around him. "Please, no more! Just let it end!" He had simply had enough. His world had been taken away from him, and now his mind was reliving all those memories of happier times...times he would never be able to have again. "Why me?" he whispered. "Why did it have to be me that was part of this? Why was I chosen to be the hero?! I couldn't do it! I can't do it! I failed!"

"That you did."

Bolt started at the voice, but otherwise did not move. He recognised the voice, and did not care. "What do you want?"

The Shadow of Calico leapt down from the latticework of metal bars that supported the ceiling, landing gracefully on the floor several yards from Bolt. "I would have thought my intentions were obvious, dog!" she gloated, knowing that Bolt was defeated, with no fight left in him. "I'm here to do what I should have done in that alleyway all those days ago...I'm here to finish you off!"

Bolt still did not look up. He really, now, did not care that the feline assassin was back. It simply did not matter any more. With his failure and loneliness, all the cat presented to him was another way to have his miserable life terminated early. He only looked up when the Shadow did not move, obviously expecting some sort of response or fight from him. He looked at the cat, sitting there, grinning maliciously at him, before putting his head back on his paws again. "Well, what are you waiting for?"

"What?" the Shadow certainly had not expected this from the super-dog.

"What are you waiting for?" Bolt repeated, slightly frustrated that things were taking so long. "Do it, finish me off. I don't care any more, just get it over and done with!"

For several moments there was silence. The Shadow had definitely expected something else, and was just sitting, mouth agape at the complete lack of resistance. "That's it?" she finally scoffed. "That's all you have? No fight, nothing? Just a death wish?" Bolt did not answer, causing the Shadow to openly laugh at him. "I don't believe this! I've spent all this time chasing you, following you, only for you to hand yourself over! You know, I always knew you were a pathetic excuse for a super-dog, but even I expected more from you!" the cat continued to laugh as Bolt just lay still. He did not care what she thought. It would not matter soon, anyway. Soon, he would be dead, along with Penny and the Father...and Calico would have his victory, and his world. There was nothing left for him to fight for.

"Stop gloating and just do it!" Bolt finally yelled, his frustration boiling over.

"Ah-ha!" Shadow cried. "There some of fight I remember in you! Come on, let it all out, let's end this here and now!" She waited, but once again Bolt just lay his head back down, and continued to wait for her to strike. "Oh, I don't believe this! Your person would be very disappointed in you, Bolt. After all your efforts, and after getting captured, all you want to do it sit down and wait to die? She would be ashamed of - "

The Shadow never finished her sentence, because at that moment Bolt's rage broke out. He might be willing to accept death, but he was not going to sit back in his final moments, and watch this cat slander his person so callously. He an enraged roar, he leapt to his feet and tackled her hard. The Shadow went flying across the room, propelled by Bolt's burst of power, before crashing into the floor, slightly dazed. she was back in her feet in a second.

Bolt stood there, his rage still flowing freely through him, driving him to make one, final act. "I may be ready to die, cat...but you will pay for that insult. I will die here, in this facility, when Calico destroys it...but you are going to come with me!"

The Shadow of Calico grinned as the two animals; cat and dog, began to circle each other. "There's the super-dog I remember! Now we can have some fun!"

Bolt stared fixedly on the cat as he circled, his mind set, his fate decided. He was ready to die, but now, in his last minutes, he was going to make sure that he took one of Calico's best assassins with him.


	33. Chapter 32: Final Act

**Chapter 32**

**Final Act**

Bolt continued to circle, with the Shadow of Calico always at the opposite end, always facing each other, each one waiting for the other to betray an opening. "Oh, I am really going to enjoy this!" the Shadow called, her claws clicking on the metal floor as she paced, ready to cut Bolt to ribbons.

Bolt, on the other hand, was trying to draw as much power as he could from his mind. In his desperate struggle to get back to Penny before, he had discovered that the reserves of his power were not limitless, and that he had almost completely drained them. How long they would last against the Shadow, he had no idea, but if they ran out, he knew that he would stand no chance against the skilled assassin. She was simply too well trained. "Well, good!" he retorted, trying to buy for time, to let his powers recover, even though that did not seem to be happening. "Because it's going to be the last thing you ever do!"

"Oh, I doubt it! Once I've killed you, they'll release me from this lock down, and I'll be free to serve my master's wishes once more!"

Bolt looked at her, stunned. He realised that she had no idea what the countdown on the computer screen meant, and she really though that she would leave this place alive! bolt could not believe it. Calico had sentenced one of his own assassins to die with him! But why? Bolt could not understand it. The Shadow was obviously very skilled...why throw away talent like that? It took bolt only seconds to understand: The cat was being punished for failing to kill him the first time! Bolt allowed himself an inward smile as he paced. That meant that no matter what, whether he won or lost this fight, the cat was still going to die!

Bolt glanced up at the countdown, quickly checking to see exactly how long he had.

* * *

_Plenty of time,_ Bolt thought as he turned back to the cat...to find her already leaping at him, claws outstretched!

Bolt's instincts kicked in instantly, jumping aside at the last second, the cat missing him by the very fur on his back, Bolt scolding himself for being so careless. That was exactly the sort of opening the Shadow had been looking for, and he had almost given it to her! But even though he had avoided her opening lunge, Bolt knew, right from the start, that he was in trouble. The Shadow's initial lunge had surprised Bolt, and the last minute dodge had left him off-balance and vulnerable. He tried to draw on his powers, but the presence in his mind that gave them to him responded slowly, sluggishly. Bolt's efforts in breaking through that steel barrier had completely drained them. he would have to fight on his own physical strength alone from now on.

But before he could even turn around, the Shadow struck again, clutching at his back with her claws, attacking from behind. Bolt, although he was off-balance, had expected it, and as such kicked and bucked hard, trying to dislodge the cat. Sure enough, she had not found a good grip on Bolt's fur, and soon let go of him, crashing back to the ground once more, as Bolt turned to face her, a menacing snarl splayed across his face. _It's time to end this!_

As the Shadow was getting back to her feet, Bolt charged, crash-tackling her before she could jump away, his jaws going for any part of her body he could reach, snapping frantically as the two of them went tumbling to the ground together. He saw her exposed neck, and lunged for it, but the cat was faster, his jaws missing her by inches.

But in the end, the cat had the advantage. She was, by far, the more skilled fighter, and in the tumbling tackle, she had ended up on top, managing to pin Bolt to the ground. She swiped her claws at Bolt once, missed. She had another go, and Bolt yelped as parallel scratches cut into his foreleg. Pain mingled with his rage, and he became even more dangerous. He may not have his powers, but Bolt knew he was still strong. He lashed out with his hind legs, kicking the shadow vicious, forcing her small, light frame off of his in an instant, sending her tumbling off across the room, yowling all the way.

Bolt once again forced himself to his, as the cat did the same across the room. "You can't win, cat!" he yelled. "You can't match my strength!"

"You underestimate me, dog!" the Shadow yelled back defiantly. "I was trained by one of the best fighters and assassins of all time! I'm simply toying with you!" The cat seemed to draw confidence from her gloating, and so simply resumed pacing and circling once more, Bolt mimicking the move, buying more time to let his powers recover. "And then, when I'm done here, with you, I'm going to return to my master's side, and watch with absolute glee as your precious person, and her meddling father are killed, and then nothing will stop us!"

"You vile, sick, insane...CAT!" Bolt's anger took him over once more, ignoring all reason and strategy as he charged the Shadow, intending on simply driving her into the wall and crushing, making sure she felt her punishment for taking such pleasure in the thought of watching two of Bolt's closest companions die.

In the end, his single-minded determination was his biggest error, because it made him too predictable. He shot straight for the cat, jumping through the air, paws out, ready to push her into the wall or ground, whichever came first. But the Shadow of Calico saw it coming, and simply stepped aside, leaving Bolt to crash straight into a stack of computer hardware that made up part of the room's wall. Stars danced in his eyes as his head crashed into the block of metal, and he collapsed to floor, stunned by the impact. Within seconds he felt the Shadow's weight on his back, and felt her claws dig into his neck, ready to finish him off.

It was over, Bolt's own anger had seen him drive himself straight into his own death. But in the end, it did not matter. The cat would kill him, and then, when the facility's self-destruct went off, his killer would be brought to justice. And strangely, as he awaited his death, he found himself at a strange sense of calm. He had failed, Penny would be killed, and Calico would rule the world for the rest of his life, but in the end, to him, all that seemed to matter was that he had done everything he could to stop Calico. He just had to hope, that, at least to Penny, that it was enough to give her the same sense of peace when she died. While he waited for the Shadow to crush his neck and end it, Bolt managed to look up at the screen, to look at the timer sitting on it.

* * *

But instead of the pressure on his neck increasing, Bolt felt the cat lean in close to his ear, so close that he could feel her breath tickling it. She was going to gloat one last time. "Does seem so inviting now, huh?"

"Just do it," Bolt grumbled, and he felt the cat freeze, she had obviously expected a final beg for mercy.

But she leaned in close once more. "That's it? No final act of defiance? No witty remark to see the world off?" She sighed. "Some hero you are."

Bolt sighed. He was no hero. He had never worked under the illusion that he was one. He was a random dog, given these powers for no reason, who was out to protect his person. He had done nothing that no other dog would have done in his place, he knew that. And now here he was, at the moment of his death, just waiting for it to...

Bolt's mind froze as a startling revelation hit him. His mind whirled back to the last bout of pacing he and the cat had done, and what she had said. _"...when I'm done here, with you, I'm going to return to my master's side..."_ And there, in that moment, just before the Shadow was going to crush his neck, Bolt's mind made a startling discovery.

The Shadow of Calico knew where Calico was. She knew where he was taking Penny!

In that very instant, Bolt's mind went into overdrive. With the revelation, his emotions went haywire. Hope sprung up in him rapidly as one last chance to get back to Penny, and stop Calico, began to take shape in his mind. With that hope, his determination to survive - and succeed - returned to him in full force...as did his powers! A new strength returned to Bolt, and the look of resignated defeat disappeared from his face. His features set, his determination sprang back to life. His mind revolved with one, single thought: _I can still save Penny!_

The result of Bolt's inward transformation was quick, and violent.

One second, the Shadow was sitting on his back, preparing to deliver the final, fatal blow. The next, Bolt moved, his powers blazing through him with their full ferocity. He pushed himself to his feet, shoving the cat off of his back like she was nothing more than a sheet of paper. The moment he was on his feet, he turned and walked purposefully towards the stunned cat, grabbing her in his jaws, by the neck, before she even knew what was going on.

"You know where Calico's hiding!" Bolt said, his voice muffled through the mouthful of fur that he held the Shadow by, but the intent was very clear to the cat.

"What? I...of course I do! I'm one of Calico's best, and I..." she stopped herself, too late, when she realised where Bolt's demands were going. "Uh-oh."

"Where is he taking Penny?!" Bolt demanded, his tone extremely severe and threatening. His old self was back, and he was not going to take any nonsense. The cat did not respond. "Wrong answer!"

Bolt then drew on his powers, before spinning around and letting the cat go, launching her across the room with all his strength. In the end, the Shadow hit the wall several feet above the doorway, and the blocked stairs beyond it. She crashed straight through the wall, and into the facility beyond, ending up in some sort of storage room, that must have been right at the top of the blocked stairwell. Bolt looked at the new hole in the wall, stunned.

He now had a way out!

Before he moved, though, he looked back at the computer, checking the timer one last time.

* * *

Five minutes! Bolt knew that he had to move fast. If the security at the entrance to the facility was still in place - which it almost certainly would be - Bolt knew he would have to use the vents to get out...and he would need every second he could get to crawl through those. In short...it was going to be very close.

And so, adrenaline mixing with his hope, which together combined with his powers to give him a new fire, a drive that Bolt knew would be impossible to stop, he began his escape from Calico's Bolivia facility. He leapt up, using his powers to make the jump into the newly-formed hole in the wall, landing in the hallway beyond, immediately finding the Shadow lying on the floor, shaking herself, barely conscious. "Come on, you!" Bolt quickly grabbed her and flipped her onto his back, carrying her with him. He was going to have to get the information out of her once they escaped...there was simply no time.

Bolt dragged her through the facility, making his way up several floors, before finally spotting a vent, and crashing straight through the grate blocking it, pushing the Shadow, who was now back to her senses, in before him.

"Get moving, cat!"

"What?! What's going on?" She turned, facing bolt suspiciously.

"Move! Or I'll tear you limb from limb right here!"

The Shadow did not need to be told twice. It was obvious to both of them that if she decided to make a fight of the current situation, Bolt's powers would more than be a match for her fighting skill. Grumbling, obviously unhappy, she slinked off into the vent, Bolt crawling in quickly after her. How much time had passed? One minute? Four? Bolt simply could not tell, knowing only that he had to move fast as he pushed the Shadow through the dirty vents, trying desperately to find a vertical vent that would lead back to the forest above them.

They found it, after what felt to Bolt like an eternity. But, amazingly, he had stumbled across the very same places where he and Penny had entered the facility, he could see the makeshift ladder he had punched into the sides of the shaft, waiting for him.

"Great!" The Shadow cried. "Where to now, genius?!"

"Get on my back, and hold on!" Bolt said quickly, knowing there was no time.

"What? Why?"

Bolt did not bother arguing, but rather just grabbed her and shoved her on his back, before using the old footholds, this climbing up the shaft, back towards the surface, the circle of faint light getting ever closer. _Come on,_ he silently pleaded. _Just wait a little longer. just a little longer..._

"Exactly what are you doing, you dumb mutt?" the Shadow asked as they neared the top.

"Saving your useless life, although I have no idea why!" Bolt retorted, sending the cat into silence, obviously confused. She was still unaware of the facility's self-destruct sequence, which by now could only be seconds from timing out.

And then, just as the Shadow clambered out of the broken manhole, and Bolt was about to follow, Bolt heard a loud rumble from somewhere below him, and felt the walls of the vent shake horribly. Bolt's face fell. _It's gone off. The base is exploding...MOVE!_

Bolt's body jumped into high gear, pulling himself up out of the shaft as the cat, who seemed to have been just about to attack Bolt, stopped at the rumbling, obviously wondering what the hell was happening. Bolt stopped for a brief moment when he saw the look of shock and terror on her face when she realised that Bolt had told the truth, and that the facility, in about one, small second, was going to being a fiery death-trap.

"Come on!" Bolt roared as he grabbed the cat, slinging her back over his back, and pouring all of his power into making his legs go as fast as they possibly could, shot off. He first made his way to the dirt road that lead to the facility, before taking off down it, just as...

Bolt never really saw it, being so focused on getting away from the facility, but it was spectacular in all its deadly violence. After the initial rumble, the entire base was just completely _engulfed_ in a colossal fireball, everything - and everyone - inside the facility being turned to ashes, dust and power in a split second. The explosion, however, not being content with just swallowing the base, continued to fan outward at a frightening speed, blasting everything for half a mile around the base. Trees were turned to black matchsticks, shrubs to dust, and the facility itself became nothing more than a large, four-hundred yard wide crater in the ground.

Bolt and the Shadow were less than two-hundred yards from the facility when the explosion occurred, but Bolt was moving fast...so fast, in fact, that by the time the explosion reached them, that were right at the edge of the half-mile blast radius. Bolt just kept running, not knowing whether he was going to live or die, praying that he got away safety, got his one, final chance to save Penny.

Then the shock wave from the explosion hit him, blasting him off his feet. He was flung off the side of the dirt road, where he slammed straight into the trunk of a tree, and his world went black in an instant.


	34. Chapter 33: Assassin's Mask

**Chapter 33**

**Assassin's Mask**

The first thing Bolt felt after the explosion was a terrible pain in his entire body, particularly so with his head. _Ohhh...what happened?_

It took Bolt a few moments to register that he was still alive, as he slowly remembered the Bolivia facility, Penny's capture, and the explosion. With excruciating slowness, the White Shepherd finally returned to full consciousness. He was hurt, dazed, and had no clue where he was...but he was alive, and for Bolt, that was all that mattered in that moment. He slowly clambered to his feet, wavering unsteadily, before finally leaning against a nearby tree trunk and looking around himself.

Bolt found that he was still in the rainforest that surrounded Calico's Bolivia facility, seeing the familiar tree canopy above him, and the tropical shrubbery all around him. But what surprised Bolt was the things that were out of place. The most prominent of those was a long, thin scar running through the ground, starting some hundred feet back behind Bolt, and ending right where he stood. Just past the far end of the scar, Bolt could see a number of smashed tree trunks, what remained of them after something had smashed right through the trees with considerable force. It took Bolt a few moments to realise that all this damage had been caused by him!

Realising this, Bolt immediately looked down at his own body, expecting it to be a dirty, broken and bloody mess, especially with all the pain he could in every inch of his skin. But in the end, the only injuries he had were a few scratches beneath his muddy, matted fur, and what Bolt knew must be some pretty serious bruises, even though he could not see them. He looked back up at the destruction he had caused, and as he remembered running from the exploding facility, he realised that the force of the explosion must have launched him off the dirt road, sent him smashing through several trees, before skidding along the ground to a stop.

Bolt searched for his powers, knowing that they were the only thing that had saved him from suffering horrific injury. He found them, but they were diminished...weakened. It felt similar to the way they had responded when he had been grieving from the loss of Penny, but it was too different. In the computer room, he realised that his powers had been there in full force, they had just been slow to respond to his requests to use them, possibly due to his lack of hope and drive. But here, now, they actually felt weak and drained, like his own personal injuries were sapping him of his powers as well. Looking over his shoulder to his left side, he reached around with a paw and started rubbing the dirt away, trying to get a good look at the mark for the first time since this mission. When he able to see it, he stopped, a little surprised. The fur around the mark, although rubbed clear of most of the muck, was still a dirty tan colour, but it was the black mark itself that held his attention...it had faded slightly. It was still there, but it was not the deep, pure black it always had been.

Bolt soon realised, finally, what the mark on his side represented. It was a gauge, a way of physically representing his powers. The lightning-bolt shape was in itself a sign that he had these incredible powers, but the mark itself was also able to tell Bolt, and anyone else who cared to look, vital things about his powers. The fuller the colour of the mark was, the stronger his powers were. Right now, since the mark was faded to a small degree, it marked that while his powers were still there, they were currently diminished, weakened by Bolt's minor, but numerous injuries.

As Bolt turned away from the mark, he noticed that, not too far from the opposite end of the scar he sat in, he saw a large human vehicle go past, strange, high-pitched sirens wailing as it shot past. Deciding to see what was going on, Bolt moved towards the road, limping with the pain in his legs. With the pain in his entire body, Bolt realised, with a strange, scary sense of relief, that he had come extremely close to being killed in that explosion. Even his powers had almost failed to protect him from Calico's evil trap. Bolt knew he would have to be more careful in the future. Calico had a lot of resources to use in his quest for world domination, and if he aimed too many of those at Bolt, with the intention of killing him, he knew that not even his powers were going to be able to save him. His powers had been gifted to him so that he could protect Penny, not wage a one-dog war on Calico's entire company. He was using his powers in a way they had never been intended for, and as such, he was still limited in what he could do. He would need to think about how he approached confrontations with the company in the future if he was going to get Penny back.

"Penny..." The thought of his person nearly sent Bolt into another spiralling depression. Penny was gone, taken by Calico. It was like all those times she had to go off somewhere where she could not take Calico, like the humans learning centres, 'schools', only in those places, she was always came out. By the end of the day, she was always back by his side, playing and relaxing together, the loneliness forgiven for the simple reason that she came back. But now...now it was different, because Bolt knew that, no matter what happened, Penny would not come back to him. As Calico's captive, she could not come back and hold him in his arms again, whispering a thousand apologies for leaving him alone, like she always used to. This time, she could not escape from where she was being taken...

_No!_ Bolt mentally slapped himself, pulling himself out of his thoughts. He knew thinking in such a way would only lead to moments like he had in the computer room, where he wanted nothing more than for death to come and take him. No, he had to stay strong. He was alive, and he had the Shadow of Calico, who knew where she had been taken. And once he found out where Calico was hiding, he would -

Bolt froze, suddenly remembering the black cat he had pulled from that facility with him. He looked wildly around himself, looking for her. Last he remembered, he was carrying her on his back when the explosion had knocked him out. But she was nowhere in sight, she had simply, as that cat seemed to have an uncanny ability to do, disappeared. Simply having nothing else to turn to, nowhere else to go, Bolt continued to make his way towards the road...maybe something he saw out there would help him think of his next move.

When he finally did reach the road, he saw a scene of absolute horror and chaos. The break in the forest canopy above the road let in a shaft of bright sunlight, which told Bolt that he had been out of action for the entire night. Human emergency vehicles were everywhere, a hundred sirens wailing in his ears. But it was what the vehicles were crowded around that had Bolt stunned. The facility - the entirety of the Bolivia facility - was gone. There was nothing left except a massive blackened crater in the ground, which was the remnants of the massive explosion. Staring at the scene, Bolt's sense of relief of simply surviving the explosion only increased. Calico had certainly wanted to make sure that there was no chance of anything inside that facility surviving.

And then Bolt saw, sitting right beside the road, only a few feet in front of him, was the Shadow of Calico. She was looking fixedly at the crater, seemingly lost in thought. Bolt made to move forward, intending on grabbing her and forcing the location of Calico's hideout from her, but he stopped. The cat's stance suggested she was struggling to come to terms with a painful thought or memory...and that triggered memories of Mindy in Bolt.

Bolt felt a pang of guilt at the memory of the German Shepherd. Since he had left Pentland Beach, he had completely forgotten about her. He had known no dogs before her, and he was so focused on his mission with Penny, that his memory had simply cast her aside. The look the Shadow's body was giving off seemed eerily similar to the way Mindy had looked when she had remembered her family that had been killed, forcing her on the street. For a brief moment, Bolt actually felt pity towards the cat, although he had no idea why. She was just another one of Calico's cold, merciless minions. If it was not for the information she possessed, she would already be dead.

But then Bolt's mind flew further back, to the disastrous day in Highton, to the point where Penny had spared the life of Bruce, one of Calico's agents. He remembered her voice, scolding him when he had briefly thought about killing the man before he could return to Calico's side and give their position away.

_"We can't just blast through everyone who tries to stop us..."_

And now, here, Bolt thought he finally understood what Penny had been trying to tell him. Sometimes, killing was not the best option. Sometimes, if enemies had a particular piece of information, it was better to spare their lives, and give them a chance to turn around, to help them instead of Calico. Bolt still did not quite understand, it just did not seem right. All these men were working to further Calico's quest for world domination, and yet Penny did not want them stopped. But still, the Shadow is very skilled. And it looked like her faith in Calico had just been betrayed. If he could convince her to work with him, to help him...then maybe, just maybe, this seemingly suicidal mission would become just a bit more possible.

Slowly, Bolt walked up behind the cat, moving slowly, trying to think of what to say. He had never been in this situation before. It did not feel right, talking with one of the enemy, trying to convince them that their way was wrong. In Bolt's mind, all it did was give them a perfect opportunity to attack. But still, he had to try. Besides, if it worked, then he was guaranteed to learn where Calico was.

But, just as Bolt opened his mouth, the Shadow spoke first. "What happened?"

Bolt froze. She had not looked behind her, and yet knew he was there. He shook off the strong urge to strike out, and instead calmed himself, and forced himself to reply. "Calico destroyed the facility. He tried to kill me inside it...and you, too."

"But why? Why send me to do a job that would only lead, one way or another, to my death?" It was obvious from the cat's voice that she was struggling to come to terms with the betrayal...and the profound sadness there suggested something similar had happened to her before.

"Because you failed him," Bolt replied, struggling to keep his voice even. "And because you know too much. You know things that I need to know, that could be Calico's undoing. He tried to kill you as a way to ensure you stayed silent...that you never revealed where he was taking Penny. Shadow...that's what Calico does. He uses those who have the skills he requires, and then when he no longer has a use for them, he kills them."

"How?" the Shadow asked, finally turning to face him. "How do you know all this?"

Bolt sighed. "Because my person, Penny...her father was once a servant of Calico. He did things for him...but he learned the truth, he learned that Calico was really an evil man who wanted nothing more than to rule over everyone else, and he defied him. Now the Father is a captive of Calico's. That's why me and Penny are after him. Penny just wants her Father back, and I just want to protect Penny. Without her...as you saw in the room before...without her, I have nothing left." Bolt struggled to contain himself. He was going too far, spilling too many secrets, to this cat that had done nothing but try to kill him.

But the Shadow did not seem to register any of this...she was looking at him, her slit-like eyes wide with surprise. "You...you're only going after Calico...to save someone he's captured? You...you have no interest in...the power he seeks?"

Bolt shook his head. He had never had an interest in ruling. He had been very happy with the quiet life he and Penny had together before this all started. "I had never had any interest in ruling over others...not when I was perfectly happy where I was. No, I just want to stop Calico, before he kills everyone he doesn't like."

The Shadow turned away from him, staring back at the crater. She was silent for a long time, seemingly thinking about everything. Then, finally: "I was not always an assassin for Calico. I was once like you, dog. I once had a family. I used to spend my days lazing around a human house, various hunting and relaxing, living the quiet life. In those days, I was not the Shadow of Calico...that human family called me Mittens."

Bolt stared at the cat, absolutely stunned. This was the last thing he expected to hear. But what made it even more shocking was the sad, slightly angry tone...which left Bolt with a feeling he knew what she was going to say next.

"But then the family began to divide. The younger humans, the ones who always played with me, left, going out into the world as they grew up. Soon the mother of the family left, too, and I was left with the last human. He had never liked me, and now that it was just the two of us, he showed it. I was beaten and neglected. Several times he tried to remove my claws."

Bolt looked as Mittens held up her right forepaw, showing that one of the claws was, indeed, missing. Bolt could only stare at her in horror. How could a human have been so cruel to her?

But Mittens was not finished. "Finally, when I could take it no longer, I left him, turning myself onto the street, becoming a stray. And out there...I found him."

"Calico?" Bolt asked. But in his mind, it made no sense. Why would Mittens, so recently subjected to horrors he had never known humans were capable of, place her trust and faith into yet another human?

"No, not Calico. His cat, the one that stays with him all the time...Hairballs. He met me, told me that the humans were all liars...and that it was time for us cats to rise up and put them in their place. He said he was using Calico to achieve this, letting Calico bring to world to its knees, and then...just when Calico had his victory, Hairballs said we - as in him, me, and a few other cats who had joined the cause, would rise up and take over, bringing us up as the rulers of the world!"

Despite her recent betrayal, Bolt could see a glint in Mittens' eyes as she spoke of the plans of Calico's deranged cat, whom Bolt had not seen before. She had truly believed what she had been told, every word of it. And now, Bolt saw, she had, once again, been betrayed, and now everything she had lived for was being put in question. Bolt could not help but compare her situation to what his had been when he had lost hope of ever getting back to Penny. They had both lost everything, lost the core of what made them who they were...and now Mittens was lost, not knowing what to do.

This was his chance. Bolt knew that he had a critical moment, which he could use to win Mittens over, to get her fight for his cause, to have her help him get Penny back. It was now or never. "Shadow, listen. I - "

"Mittens," the cat replied simply.

"Huh?"

"I've had enough of Calico, of Hairballs, and all their stupid, mad grabs for power. All it's done is killed many creature, and almost killed me. I will no longer be called by the name that lot gave me. Call me Mittens, Bolt...it's the only name I have left."

Bolt was a little surprised, but decided to just accept it. "Okay. Listen, Mittens. I need your help. You've seen what Calico is willing to do to get his way, and you also know that he will not stop, at least not until the world is his. But right now, all I want is to get my person back. If I can save her, and her Father, then Calico will have failed. The reason he has taken Penny is because her father knows things. The information he has is critical to Calico's plan, and he thinks that, by capturing Penny, it will make him talk. Mittens...I need to find him, and I need to find him now."

Mittens looked up at him, and when Bolt looked into her eyes, he saw a completely different cat to the sneering, mildly deranged assassin he was used to. Now, she was just another cat, troubled by a difficult past, and struggling to come to a decision. "But I've already done so many terrible things. I just want to go away...go back to my old life as a stray, just wander - "

Bolt was getting desperate. "Mittens, please! Yes, you may have done some things wrong, you may have worked for Calico...you may have even tried to kill me! But this, right now...this is your chance to make it right, to show that you're not Calico's puppet!"

Mittens fell into thought once more, Bolt also beginning to brood. That was it, he was out of ideas. He had no more tricks he could use to convince Mittens to help. All he could do now was wait...and hope she made the choice he so desperately needed to hear. Because if Mittens refused to help him, he would have nowhere else to go, no-one left to turn to.

Then, finally. "Bolt..." Mittens paused, sighing. "You saved my life back there. Last night, you had every right to leave me there to die, but you dragged me, even against my will, out of that place, and saved me."

Bolt made to argue, to remark that he did not do it for her, but stopped himself just in time. He could not afford to alienate her now.

"I owe you my life, and although I know it's not enough to repay it...I'll help you find Calico."


	35. Chapter 34: Retracing

**Chapter 34**

**Retracing**

"Why are we going this way...you said Calico's main facility was the other way!"

Bolt walked along beside Mittens, who offered up no answer. Bolt sighed, getting frustrated quickly. This was not what he had expected. Everything had gone so well, so far...why was she leading him astray now?

Since the incident, and Mittens' promise at Bolivia, things had been okay for Bolt...considering the loneliness which now clawed at his heart every day. Mittens had told Bolt that Calico had his company's headquarters were located near a huge human city called Los Angeles, which Bolt had heard of, but otherwise had no knowledge of. Mittens had said that it was back in the States, along the south-west coast of the country, and that she would show him where it was. Since then, for the past day, they had variously travelled, using Bolt's vast reserves of powers, and human vehicles, back up through Mexico, and eventually back in the States, where Mittens had promptly thrown them off course, sending them off to the east, instead of north-west, as Bolt had expected. Initially, Bolt had not noticed. Every hour he spent travelling with the odd cat was another hour he spent without Penny...and it tore him apart.

The loneliness Bolt felt was agonising, and even Mittens could not stem the feeling of absolute solitude he felt in the absence of his person, and lifelong companion. It left Bolt in a state of dull depression. Even though he was determined to find Calico, and get Penny back, the time he spent alone, wandering the land, continued to tear at his frayed emotions. It left him distracted and moody, as his mind constantly forced him to re-live memories of times past, when he and Penny were completely unaware of the plot unravelling right in front of them. Because of this brooding depression, he had wandered with Mittens in sad silence for almost the entirety of the trip, and it had taken him until now to notice that Mittens was leading him in the wrong direction.

And now, his depression leaving him irritable, he quickly cut Mittens off, forcing her to stop. "Mittens, why are we going this way? I just saw a road sign saying Los Angeles is in the other direction...what's going on?"

Mittens stopped, looking up at Bolt. She sighed when she saw that it had come to the point where either she answered, or Bolt's moody nature caused him to break and start getting really angry, really quickly. "Look at yourself, Bolt. You're depressed. Don't bother arguing, pooch, you can't hide it. At the rate you're going, you won't even make it to LA without killing yourself in your depression."

Bolt growled at her in warning. "Don't avoid the question, cat. I still don't quite trust you, yet, now answer the - " He stopped when he got a better look at their surroundings, and realised that they were strangely familiar. "Wait...where are we?" He looked at Mittens accusingly, but she only grinned mischievously. This, it seemed, was exactly the reaction she had been looking for.

"Come on, dog, use your head!" she said playfully. "Think! Look around...you tell me where we are."

Bolt growled again, in no mood for these silly games...but Bolt decided to appease her. He knew he was never going to find Calico without her help, and if he wanted her help, he knew he was going to have to do things her way. Grumbling, he slowly looked around, taking in his surroundings more carefully. His mind slowly gained more of that awful sense of familiarity as he saw a long small road, with a row of shops and houses along it. On the opposite side of the road, where he and Mittens were, Bolt noticed a long park strip, that ran alongside the road as far as Bolt could see, trees and benches scattered along the strip of grass. And beyond that, Bolt saw the white, sandy beach, and finally the ocean, with the back-and-forth waves which always seemed to have that strange calming effect on him...

And as Bolt watched the waves, his mind finally put all the pieces together. "Wait a second, this is..." he looked at Mittens' whose grin only widened when she saw the recognition in Bolt's eyes. "This is Pentland Beach!"

"Hooray!" Mittens cried sarcastically. "Took you long enough, pooch. Okay, now for something a little trickier: Do you think you can figure out why I brought you here?"

Bolt looked at her, trying to scare her into stopping these stupid games with a nasty glare, and possibly the threat of a Heat-Vision blast. But Mittens just ignored him, forcing him to play. Sighing, he tried to think of why the cat would possibly bring him here. "This...this was the place where you first showed yourself...where you first attacked me!"

Mittens sighed. "Sheesh, you are a pessimist, aren't you? You always remember the terrible stuff. No, that's not why I brought you here. Try and think of something else, something...happier."

Bolt dicked back into his thoughts, this time running through his memory of when he had last come through here. It hit him fast, and hard. "Mindy..."

Mittens cut him off. "If you mean the German Shepherd you dated while you were here, then yes, that's who I brought you here to see."

Bolt stopped, confused. "What? 'Dated'?"

Mittens jaw dropped. "You're joking right?"

"What?"

"You mean..." Mittens looked at Bolt incredulously. "...you have no idea what dating is?"

"No!" Bolt didn't understand. _What is Mittens on about?_

Mittens just stared a Bolt for a few more moments, slack-jawed. Then she burst out laughing, rolling in the grass in mirth, completely unable to contain herself. "I tried to poke fun at you...and you have no idea what I was on about!" Her laughter grew louder.

"Would you calm down and please tell me what in the world you're on about...please!" Bolt was growing more confused by the second, and he did not like it. It took time, but eventually Mittens calmed down, stifling her laughter, although she continued to break out into occasional fits of giggles.

"Sorry, pooch...but you have no idea how funny that was. But never mind, I'll explain it to you later. Now, where's this Mindy character hiding?"

Bolt physically winced at the last memory he had of Mindy. "You hurt her, remember? Pretty badly, too! I had to leave her, but she said she had to go to the vet to get her leg checked out. That would be the best place to start." His voice was hard...he had completely forgotten about Mindy's involvement in the incident in the alleyway, and now that he had remembered, he was feeling particularly sour towards Mittens. Mindy was the only other animal Bolt could really consider anything close to a friend...and Mittens had nearly killed her! "Come on," he finally said roughly, heading off down the street, looking for the local vet.

"Bolt," Mittens said slowly, carefully. She was obviously trying to avoid sending him into a rage.

"What?"

"There's another reason I came here, you know. I...I came here to try and..." she struggled for words, looking to Bolt like she was trying to grasp some concept she did not fully understand. "...I wanted to find this Mindy, and apologise...for how I hurt her. I'm seeing now that everything I did was wrong. I know I can't possibly make up for many of the things I've done, but I least want to try."

Bolt did not stop walking...but his sour mood faded slightly. Bolt could not tell for certain, but to him, there was no sign of dishonesty in the way Mittens spoke; she really wanted to make amends for the harm she caused. "Let's just find this vet...then we can worry about your apologies." His mood may have brightened a little, but anger still seethed inside him. He was never happy these days...not without Penny.

"And while I'm on the subject..." It seemed Mittens wasn't done. "...I want to apologise to you, Bolt. I tried to hurt you...hell, I even tried to kill you. But now I see that I was wrong...and I'm sorry. I really am."

Bolt now could not help but feel mild admiration towards the cat who had only just a couple of days ago been one of his most hated enemies. Bolt knew, from experience, that it took guts to apologise to someone, especially when the matter was as serious as this. It took serious courage to admit you were wrong when the matter was about life and death. He said nothing, but inside, he started to like Mittens a little more.

But as Bolt looked around the beach-side town, he could find no trace of a vet, or Mindy, anywhere. His hopes of finding her had just started to fade when Mittens stopped. "Hey, isn't that the little psycho-dog that hangs around with the Shepherd all the time?"

Bolt stopped, looking at Mittens, and then following her raised paw. She was pointing down an alleyway, where Bolt saw a small Jack Russell Terrier climbing through an overflowing dumpster, obviously looking for a meal. It took Bolt a few moments to work out what Mittens meant...Zippy! Bolt's heart leapt at the sight of the hyper-active little dog. He may be annoying, but Bolt knew that he would know where Mindy was. He immediately ran towards the little dog, leaving Mittens in his wake, to catch up. "Hey, hey Zippy!"

Zippy turned upon hearing his name, poking his head out of the dumpster and looking around wildly. When he saw Bolt, he stopped, recognising him instantly. "Bolt! Hey, there, you're back!" He instantly jumped from the dumpster and sprinted towards Bolt, the two of them finally stopping just feet from each other. "Didn't think I'd ever see you back here again!"

"I didn't think I'd ever be coming back," Bolt replied, giving a knowing look at Mittens as she caught up, coming up beside him.

Zippy instantly changed, growling at Mittens on sight. "What do you want, cat?!" he barked forcefully. "Get outta here!"

Bolt couldn't help but give a small, half-hearted laugh at the situation. "Easy, Zip...the cat's with me."

Zippy looked at Bolt, as if he was trying to determine if he was sick. "You sure about that, Bolt? You can never trust a cat." He threw a dirty look at Mittens, who hissed in return, seemingly ready to pounce.

Bolt looked from one to the other, before stepping in. "Take it easy, you two! Zip, I came here to see Min - " He stopped himself when he remembered that no-one but him knew the German Shepherd by her proper name. "Uh, I mean, Mud. You know where she is, Zippy?"

Zippy proceeded to simply ignore Mittens as he talked to Bolt, although he did throw her the occasional suspicious look. "As far as I know, she's still in the vet. I haven't heard anything from anyone about her. And trust me, Bolt, I've asked. I don't know what happened to her, but whatever it is, it can't be good. Bolt, you reckon you could help me find out what..."

But Bolt was no longer listening. He had noticed movement in the alleyway ahead of him, behind Zippy. Looking over Zippy's shoulder, he saw two men talking animatedly to each other, apparently arguing. They were cloaked in shadow, and were wearing balaclavas over their heads, but something seemed vaguely familiar about them to Bolt...he just could not quite pin it down.

Finally, Mittens shove brought him back to focus. "Hey, Wags, you awake?"

Bolt shook his head, looking at his two companions to notice that both were staring at him expectantly. "Yeah, I'm fine. There's just something about those two me over there that..." He stopped, his eyes bulging in horror as he pieced it together. He looked back, checking to make sure he had not made a mistake. But his worst fears were confirmed...those masked men were wearing Calico-issue body armour.

Those were Calico's men! And as Bolt looked, he noticed that they were now staring right at him, hands going for their weapons. Calico's men had found him...and they were here to kill him!

"MOVE!" he roared, actually grabbing Zippy and hurling him aside, moving himself just as the two men grabbed their pistols and fired, bullet impacts kicking up small plumes of dirt all around Bolt as he dived behind the nearest bin, using it for cover.

"Damn it!" Bolt muttered to himself. "How'd they find me?" It did not make sense, Calico had everything he could want: Penny, and the Father. And after the explosion at Bolivia, Calico must have assumed that he had been killed in the blast. So why were his men still chasing him?

Bolt simply cast the question aside as he heard bullet pinging off the flimsy bin, some going clean through it, bullet holes snapping into existence all around him. With Mittens and Zippy still out in the open, he knew he had to do something, and fast. In the end, he could come to only one conclusion...and hated it. He was going to get himself killed! But in the end, he knew there was no other way, so he gathered his courage, took a deep breath...and ran.

Pouring his power into his legs, Bolt dived out from behind the bin and charged the two thugs intent on killing him. Despite his speed, they saw him and tried to shoot him, but Bolt was too fast, they simply could not aim accurately at something going that fast. Within seconds Bolt had reached them...and he showed no mercy. The first thug suffered Bolt hind legs to his chest. The kick blasted him off his feet, where he collided with a brick wall head-first, breaking his neck and sending him crashing to the ground, dead.

Bolt used his momentum from kicking off the first thug to launch himself into the air, driving his body straight into the second man, who tried to get one last shot off, the gun sounding like a cannon as it went off right next to Bolt's face. But the shot flew wild, and Bolt landed heavily on the man, shoving him forcefully to the ground, the gun snapping from his grip as he yelled out. But before the man could do anything more, Bolt's jaws snapped down on his neck, and the man fell silent...the assassination attempt foiled, once again.

Sputtering, trying in vain to get the foul taste of blood out of his mouth, Bolt made his way back towards the alley entrance, looking for Zippy and Mittens. When he was able to see the park where he and the others had been standing when all hell broke loose, he blanched, horrified. Mittens was there, almost in exactly the same place Bolt had last seen her, seemingly recovering from the shock of the moment. But what had Bolt so horror-struck was Zippy. He just lay there, in the exact spot he had thrown him before...he was not moving. Bolt turned to Mittens, who was looking at him, the same picture of horror on her face. "Mittens, is Zippy okay?"

He got no response. Mittens just continued to sit there, staring at her. Then: "Bolt..."

"Mittens, don't argue! If Zippy's hurt he'll need help now! Now is he okay or not?"

But Mittens was still focused on Bolt. "Bolt...your leg..."

It was there that Bolt realised that Mittens' look of horror was because of what she saw on Bolt, not Zippy. It was also then, as the adrenaline rush from the near-death fight began to subside, that Bolt felt, with shocking suddenness, an agonising, burning pain in his left hind leg. Yelping and whining with the sudden pain, Bolt slowly looked down at his hurting leg. His eyes went wide. "Oh, no..."

The dirt-ridden leg had now turned a dark, slick shade of red, absolutely covered in blood. The source was a small hole in his leg, just below the hip. Bolt nearly fell into shock as the realisation hit him: He had been shot! And then the next after-effect of the wound began to show itself...as Bolt started to feel weak and dizzy, the blood loss already beginning to take its toll.

"No...no...not like this..." Bolt tried to move, but the pain in his leg was excruciating. With a feeble whimper, he collapsed to the ground, his vision beginning to fade at the edges, his body starting to feel terribly cold as he start to shake uncontrollably. To Bolt, the message his body was sending him was obvious...he was dying!

Dimly, he registered Mittens coming up beside him. But he was already starting to slip in and out of consciousness, and as such did not hear whatever it was she was trying to tell him.

"No...I can't..." The last thing Bolt saw before his vision faded completely was a large, blurred shadow...a figure, a human of some sort approaching him. As Bolt, at long last, fell from consciousness, knowing he would never return to the waking world, only one final thought, one last word, escaped him.

"Penny..."


	36. Chapter 35: Deranged Visions

**Chapter 35**

**Deranged Visions**

Tears streamed down Penny's face as she sat in the darkest corner of a small, office-like room, trying in futile desperation to hide from the world. She had not done anything but since in the corner and continue to quietly sob since Calico's men had thrown her in here and left her there, locking the door behind them.

She was still struggling to come to terms with Bolt's death...and her mind simply refused to accept it. Her mind had replayed visions of him over and over so many times, it was almost like he was still there, right beside her, trying to comfort and protect her as he always did. Sometimes, she could swear she even heard him, yapping away at some unseen foe...whining at Penny's distress. But, deep in her heart, she knew these were simply visions. Bolt was gone...and he was never going to come back.

But then of, course, every time she thought that way, she would descend into another bout of weeping and mourning, and from there, the visions would start all over again. It would a vicious, relentless cycle that only made her grief worse. It was why she had retreated into the corner, trying to escape from everything. There was nothing for her in the world: Calico had captured her, Bolt was dead, and the world would soon be the enslaved, apocalyptic ruin she had envisioned in Keiton all those days ago. She just wanted to hide, escape from it all. But she had nowhere to run or hide. Her mission, her plan to save her father, was done. It was over, she simply had nothing left...nothing to fight for, and nothing to stop Calico. She had tried...and she had failed.

But Bolt would not leave her mind, and she simply could not move on from his death. It was more than losing a companion, she knew. Right from the moment she had first laid eyes upon him in that pet store, Bolt had become a part of her, forever tied to her. Now that part of her had violently torn from her and destroyed right in front of her eyes. Penny could almost feel the hole in her that Bolt had left behind. She knew that space would never be filled. Nothing, and no-one, could ever give her the same sense of ultimate happiness and companionship that Bolt had given her. They never spoke the same language, yet understood each other on a deeper, much more meaningful level. They were occasionally separated, yet she always felt him there, that part of her that was also a part of him, waiting for the inevitable reunion.

But now? Now there was nothing. There would no happy reunion, no more playing in the backyard. And yet...while she knew he was gone, there was some part of Penny that simply refused to accept that her best friend was gone forever. It was not hope, more an agonising sense of realisation and finality that, in truth, she simply could not see a life without Bolt as anything but misery and torment. Even if she somehow recovered, somehow moved on, his memories would always haunt her, always leave with that lingering sadness and grief. Penny knew that, slowly, no matter what happened, her grief would slowly tear her apart on the inside. Over the years, her despair would slowly eat her away, until she was just a shadow of her former self, a lingering wraith wandering the streets, with nothing but her loneliness and her misery to keep her company, and death finally came and claimed her, and at long last reunited her with the White Shepherd who had completely transformed her life.

This unending, heart-wrenching cycle of misery, despair and hopelessness had torn at Penny's heart and soul since she had seen the explosion, and Calico's helicopter had taken her away. She had barely registered anything on the trip. She had hardly noticed when her backpack, and all of her other possessions, had been taken away and examined, and she had not responded to anyone's attempts to communicate with her, including Calico. After the explosion, she had simply retreated inwards, allowing grief to take her over and rule her thoughts and feelings. She had barely even noticed when she had been led out of the helicopter, dragged into another facility, and eventually shoved in this room. She had simply lost the will to fight any longer. With nothing left to fight for, what point was there in fighting Calico at all?

As if summoned by there thoughts, at that moment the door into her room opened and Calico himself strode in, flanked by two armed bodyguards. Penny did not even look up at his entrance, she simply did not care about anything any more. Whatever Calico wanted, whatever he did to her now, it did not matter any more. Nothing mattered now that Bolt was gone.

"Oh, there you are, Penny!" Calico's voice sounded distant to Penny, but she did hear him. "I almost missed you back there. Wait..." he turned to one of the guards. "Has she moved since I left her in here?"

The guard shrugged. "Nope. She's done nothing expect cry since you shoved her in the chopper." The guard was completely indifferent in his tone. He neither supported, nor fought, Calico's mad plan. Just another mindless grunt.

"I see. Well, you really did seem to love that dog of yours, didn't you?" Again, Penny ignored Calico's attempts at small talk. It was all part of his game, a way he entertained himself. "But this, my little Penny, is exactly why you don't get too attached to anyone...or anything. Such affection only leads to misery. It is the same with power. People who find themselves in possession of power grow to become fond of it, and as such seek to hang on to it at all costs. That, little girl, is where corruption comes from."

Penny, with great difficulty, calmed herself down and wiped her tears away, looking at Calico with absolute loathing. "So that's it, then? That's your big plan? You think if you take all the power for yourself, that corruption will just disappear? That the world will make itself all better?" It sounded like absolute nonsense to Penny, but she was simply trying to follow Calico's train of thought. Besides, she thought, trying to find the method to Calico's madness gave her something to do, forced her to stop thinking about Bolt. With her misery and despair slowly retreating to the corners of her mind, her fire and drive returned, and she became more determined to stop Calico. And if she could understand exactly what it was he wanted, and exactly how he planned to get it, then she could start thinking of a way to deny him everything.

"Oh, no, my dear girl. I'm afraid it's not as simple as that. You see, I know that the world will not fix itself, and indeed, once I have my power, that fixing it will take a lot of time and effort. The corruption of our society has done a very good job of causing irreversible harm to the world. But, under my rule, we can work together to end the madness...to work to right the wrongs our society has committed on the world. With only one person in power, there will no risk of being unseated, and therefore, no need for corruption to protect said power! With corruption gone, the world can work, as one, to become a better place for everyone!" Calico was rambling now, simply spurting out whatever his train of thought ran on to think of next.

"But how?" Penny demanded. "How can you use that to justify the killing of so many people? How can you use that to justify my own imprisonment?! Your efforts to capture me have destroyed a city, and killed hundreds! How can you justify that?!"

Calico waved his hand dismissively. "In any global revolution, there will always be some collateral damage. Innocent lives will be spent, and other ruined. But in the end, it is all for the greater good."

"What greater good?!" Penny spat, jumping to her feet. "You think having sole, uncontested rule of the world is 'for the greater good'? I know people like you, Calico. And you never work for the greater good! You seek the power for nothing more than your own benefit. You go on about creating a better world, but I know better! You will never bring about anything but ruin and death, while you laugh in everyone's faces when they come pleading to you for help! You seek power only for the _greater good _of your own pathetic existence!"

Calico's face fell in an instant, become very hard and threatening, as Penny realised she may have taken her argument a bit too far. She stopped, remaining in her corner as Calico approached her, his movements stiff. He was obviously desperately fighting to control the urge to simply snap and rage at her, possibly kill her for such a direct insult. But even as fear crawled up Penny's back, she knew that he could not harm her. He needed her...and as such, she was protected from his lethal whims. But that did not make it any less scary when he came up to her and leaned in close, so close that his nose almost touched hers. Penny forced herself to look away, again becoming slightly nauseated by the disgusting sight his eye up close. "That..." he said slowly, dangerously. "...was very rude. I may be patient, girl, but I have my limits. Do not push them!" His face then returned to its usual cheery, victorious state. Penny may have touched a nerve, but the man knew he had won. "Now, if we're quite done discussing my plans for the future, if you would follow me. You have a...special appointment. I would hate for you to miss it." He moved to the doorway, before waiting for her to follow, the guards now watching her intently, for any sign of trouble.

Penny looked around the room properly for the first time, seriously considering trying to escape. But right from the start, it was useless. Calico and the two guards covered the only door in the room, and the room was completely bare, with nothing she could use as a weapon, or any other idea, for that matter. sighing, she reluctantly followed, Calico leading the way through a vast maze of hallways, Penny being covered by the guards; one in front, one behind. No chance of escape. But as they walked, and Penny's thoughts were allowed to wander, escape drifted from her mind as Bolt returned to her thoughts, the grief hitting her like a physical blow once again.

But this time, Penny fought the grief and despair, fought for control over her emotions. There would be time to properly grieve for Bolt, to properly acknowledge his death, but it was not now. She had to be strong now, while Calico was still vulnerable, still working towards his goal...she had to fight. Slowly, with exceptional effort and self-control, she managed to push her grief and despair aside, sealing them once more in the darkest corners of her mind, always there, but no longer clouding her emotions...and her judgement. With her emotions successfully sealed away, she strengthened her resolve. She could see, now, that all was not lost. Calico still had not won, his victory still was not complete. And while that fact remained true, there was still hope...one last speck of hope that he could be stopped.

And as Penny grasped this concept, she allowed herself a small, sly smile. Because while that last hope remained, she would fight. Calico's conviction and cocky certainty were his weaknesses, and Penny was going to try and use those to her advantage. She would fight to the very end...no matter the consequences any more.


	37. Chapter 36: Negotiations

**Chapter 36**

**Negotiations**

_Something's not right. He hasn't come to see me for ages now...he's up to something._

Richard was beginning to get worried. This was the first time, in the whole time that he had been a captive of Calico, that the madman hadn't bother to interrogate him. For almost every minute he had been awake, Richard had been the victim of Calico varied and, to sat the least, 'creative' methods of trying to extract information from him. He had been beaten, bribed, threatened...Calico had gone through multiple channels to try and uncover the secrets Richard held. But he held out, he kept silent. Somehow, his will and fight had held out through untold hours of torture, and now - Richard had no idea how long he had been held - it had just stopped. No warning, no nothing...all activity concerning him had just ceased. The only people who had bothered to see him in that time were the two guards that were obviously assigned to watch him, and they weren't exactly active company. So now, for one of the first times since he was captured, he had time to think.

Why exactly was Calico leaving him to recover anyway? He had never been prone to acts of mercy in the past, so Richard highly doubted that he was doing so now. There was the possibility that he had other, more pressing priorities at the moment, but that made no sense either. Because if that was the case, then why was he being left alone? If Calico had other matters to attend to, surely he would get someone else, like his second-in-charge Marcus, to keep prying him, continue the interrogation until he cracked. No, whatever the cause for this break, it was very important to Calico...which could only mean that it had something to do with Calico's plan, which was also the reason he was being held captive...which was not good, not good at all.

If Calico found a way of infusing humans with super-powers without needing Richard's research, his whole reason for fighting Calico would be rendered useless. That was what he had been researching for him for five years...it was the very reason Bolt had his powers now. But if Calico found another way, it was over. _No!_ Richard forced himself to stop, to not think about that. It simply was not possible. If Calico had other ways of getting the genetic alteration sequence he needed, he would already have used them. No, Calico still needed him...but that still left the question of what was causing this delay?

_But what's the difference?_ Richard thought sadly. He knew that no matter what happened, no matter what he said, or what Calico did to him, that Calico was not going to get the results. He did not have them! Sure, he had fully mastered and understood the processes involved in altering animals, such as Bolt, to give them the powers Calico so fanatically desired. But he had defected and decided to start fighting Calico before he had proceeded to test the process on humans. He knew that it would take a whole new level of genetic alteration to work on humans, whose genetic make-up was far more complex than an animal like a dog. But Calico, it seemed, either refused to believe this, or simply did not care. He simply would not stop until he had the information he wanted from him.

Then Richard was forced to snap his eyes shut as blindingly bright light assault his eyes, which had shut in dark, gloomy rooms for the duration of his imprisonment. He instinctively tried to raise a hand to further protect his eyes, but he was foiled by the ropes that held them down, pinning them to the arms of the chair he was sitting in. His chest was also bound the the chair back by rope, and his legs were bound together. All he could really do was tilt his head, and shuffle around in his seat a little. Once his eyes had adjusted to the brightness, he opened them once more, finally, for the first time, able to see exactly where he was being held.

The sight that met him took his breath away.

He was seated in the middle of some sort of massive underground cavern, although it had been extensively altered for Calico's purposes. The first thing Richard noticed was a massive river, which his seat was positioned just ten feet away from. It flowed clean through the cavern from one end to the other, emerging from a small, dark cave to Richard's left, before flowing out of the cavern through an identical cave to his right. Inside the cavern, however, the entire floor, including the walls of the river, were made of steel, obviously built over the existing cavern for some unknown purpose. But the majority of the walls and roof of the cavern were natural rock, although they were reinforced by steel support beams. Various pieces of machinery and computers filled the room, which was otherwise bare, increasing the sense of being stuck inside a giant, brightly-lit cavern. Several small, railed foot-bridges spanned the fast-flowing underground river, and several enclosed spaces were placed in the river, too, the artificial breakwaters protecting these small areas from the river's swift current. Most, as far as Richard could tell, were being used as docks, holding various boats. Obviously Calico was using this river for some purpose...but what?

And then Richard saw the 'docking area' in front of him...and his face fell. Unlike the others, this docking area was completely sealed off from the river itself, creating what was essentially a small, artificial pool, only taking up a few square feet of floor space. But there, suspended over the pool, mounted on some sort of pulley system, which in turn was connected to a small control panel...was a small cage, barely large enough to squeeze two adults into. Richard saw its purpose instantly...it was a drowning cage.

It was obviously intended as being Calico's next torture method, and it was a cruel one. Richard knew that, at least in his mind, that drowning would have to be one of the most unpleasant deaths imaginable, and that this torture method was specifically designed to play on that fear, and the absolute agony of not being able to breathe, even when your body was screaming for air. But why had Calico waited this long to reveal his next interrogation technique to him...waited so long to implement it? Surely it was not for dramatic effect. Richard knew that Calico had a certain habit of being a drama queen, but this was excessive, even for his standards. No, there was something else going on here.

Then, behind Richard, he heard distinct, high _ping_ of an elevator car announcing its arrival. Looking around quickly, he also noticed several lifts on the opposite wall, across the river. Wherever this facility was, he realised, it was hidden underground...underneath an absolutely massive facility! Then Richard heard the lift doors open, almost immediately hearing the now-familiar footsteps and voice of his most hated enemy.

"Ah, professor! You must excuse my lengthy absence, but I have been otherwise...preoccupied. But I'm back, and before we begin, I'd like to thank you in advance for granting us access to your research on genetic alteration. You have been...most helpful...to this organisation."

"You know that, even if I did have the research you're after, _doctor!_" Richard tried to put as much scorn and loathing into the word as possible. "You know that I would never do such a thing!"

"Perhaps," Calico said dismissively, as if Richard's continued defiance was of no importance to him. This made Richard slightly nervous. The Doctor was simply too confident...to sure that he would spill his secrets. Something had happened, something that had turned the odds in the mad doctor's favour. "But, perhaps today, you will start to think differently." Calico then stopped, as he seemed to be struck by a sudden thought. "Tell me, professor...how long have been under my rigorous interrogation?"

Richard frowned at Calico in hate. The Doctor was, as he seemed to have a nasty habit of doing, playing games with him. "I don't know, and I don't really care! It doesn't matter, you can keep torturing me for the next year...you still will not get the results...because I don't have them!"

"For your information, professor, you have been my captive for twelve days now. In case your brain's a little slow, that is close to two weeks!" Richard was mildly shocked that so much time had passed. Being confined in dark rooms for the entirety of his time in Calico's captivity, Richard had lost any measure of time, and as such, the minutes and hours had blended into each other. As such, he had absolutely no idea how long he had been subjected to Calico's worst, but, now that he knew, he was amazed that he had lasted so long without cracking.

Apparently, Calico was on a similar train of thought. "Two weeks you have defied my demands, professor. Considering the sort of pain I have put you through, that is quite an amazing feat. I had expected you to last three days at the most. You show a determination and resilience I have not seen before...and I can't help but admire it."

"Great," Richard muttered dryly, deciding to play Calico's games for now. "Where's my medal?"

"But!" Calico's shout brought Richard back into line, as he heard the doctor begin to pace around the back of his chair, forever just out of his peripheral vision. "No-one, absolutely no-one, is immune to the effects of torture. Everyone has a weakness, a particular form of pain that they detest, so much so, that they will do anything, absolutely anything, to stop it. It is just a matter of finding which buttons to push." At this, Calico finally moved into Richard's line of sight. He wore the same black suit he always did, and that black cat, Hairballs, Richard remembered Calico calling it once, firmly draped across his shoulder, as it always was. Once Calico was in front of Richard, he gestured casually towards the cage. "The drowning cage. One of the more...primitive...torture methods. But also one of the most effective. Even the most resilient of men have cracked under the fear of drowning which, trust me, is a slow, agonising way to die." Calico then leaned in close to Richard. "What do you think of such a device, professor?"

Richard wanted desperately to turn away from Calico's face, hideous as it was up close. But he fought the urge, and maintained fierce eye-contact, matching Calico's casual sense of triumph with his own stubborn defiance. "I think it would be a great way to take my secrets to the grave!"

Calico smiled in amusement at Richard's response, almost as if he expected. "Typical Richard! Defiant, even in the face of a horrific death! But you see, I knew that would be your look on the situation, so I have not bothered with the drowning cage. But today, things are different. The stakes have changed in this game, Richard. And I think you'll find that they have swung in my favour now!"

Calico's confidence was really starting to show now. The doctor seemed certain that whatever it was that had changed about Richard's predicament, that it would be enough to make Richard spill the secrets he did not have. "It does not matter what you do to me, or that drowning cage...I will not talk!"

"Ah, but you see, professor, I believe you!" That was not the response Richard had expected, his eyes widening as Calico moved out of view behind the chair once again. "After studying you these past two weeks, I have come to realise that nothing can be done to you to make you talk. You are far too selfless to submit in that way." He then paused, and Richard could tell that Calico was enjoying this. "You have probably wondering why I have delayed this particular..._negotiation_...haven't you? Well, professor, wonder no more! Marcus...bring the package out here!"

Richard listened intently as he heard a second set of footsteps approach his position from the lift that Calico had come from, somewhere behind his chair. But he could also hear another set of feet, and some mild scuffling. And in that single, horrifying instant, Richard realised that Marcus' package was another person...and he knew that Calico's triumphant confidence could only mean that one person could be in his possession. _Oh, no...no!_

Sure enough, when Marcus and Calico swung back into view, Marcus noticed that they were clutching, by an arm each, a young girl who Richard had hoped, in a strange, sad way, that he would never see again. "Penny!"

Penny had also frozen still in shock upon recognising her father. "Dad!"

Richard looked up at Calico and Marcus, expecting some sort of reprimand for trying to communicate with his daughter, but he noticed that the two of them were deep in conversation...something about a man called Bruce, and a bunch of assassins...Richard really did not care at the moment, as he turned back to Penny. "Penny, darling, what happened..." then another horrible thought struck him. "...where's Bolt?"

Penny looked up at her father, and her grieving eyes told him the answer before her words did. "He's gone, dad...Calico killed him."

"No..." Richard stared at Penny, shocked, for a brief moment, before snapping himself out of it. "Listen to me, Penny, everything's going to be - "

"Dad?"

Richard stopped. Penny's voice showed no hint of fear and sadness. There was no emotion in her voice whatsoever...she was deadly serious. Wondering how she could be so calm in the face of such great danger, Richard took a few moments to answer. "Yes, honey?"

A fire flared in Penny's eyes before she spoke. "Don't give him anything. No matter what, dad...don't give Calico what he wants!"

"Penny, don't say things like - "

"Hey, hey, hey! That's enough, you two!" Calico's scolding voice stopped them both in their tracks. He then grabbed Penny. "Now, professor, as I may have mentioned just before, I have come to admire you for your resilience...and as such, I am willing to make a compromise...for now. Think of today's events as...a taste of things to come."

Richard swallowed. Whatever this 'taste' was, he knew it was not going to be good, especially now that he had Penny. Penny was his one weakness, and Calico knew it. Richard could only watch, his face growing more and more horrified, as Calico roughly shoved Penny towards the drowning cage, eventually shutting her inside it. Richard's horror only increased as Penny showed no resistance, no attempts to stop and fight what Calico obviously planned to do with her. It seemed that, with Bolt's death, she had resigned herself to death. But he had not...he was not going to let her die.

"Now, professor, I am going to ask a very simple question. I want to hear the right answer." When he finished speaking, he held up a piece of paper, which Richard recognised immediately as a copy of his results for Bolt's alteration process, complete with the encryption blockages. "You have encrypted the information regarding the process you used to give your pathetic excuse for a dog, his powers. I want to know how to break that encryption...I want the encryption key!"

"Why?" Richard asked as calmly as he could manage. Inside, he was beginning to panic. He just had to stall for time, try to think of a plan to save Penny before Calico could break him.

"Because," Calico said, obviously in no mood to play any more, "I want to know how you altered Bolt, and how to do it on other animals. I also want to know how to reverse those effects, how to block someone's powers. Now tell me: How do you break the encryption?!"

Richard's mind froze, panic completely taking over. What did he say? He had to hold on to his secrets...but at the same time, he could not condemn Penny to her fate. What did he do. "Penny," he turned to his daughter. "Penny, just hang on, everything's going to be fine."

"Oh, how sweet!" Calico muttered, disgusted by the show of love and faith. "But everything is not going to be fine!" Calico then moved to the control console the cage was attached to, and pressed a button. Instantly, the cage, with Penny inside it, started to lower, dropping slowly towards the water, causing Penny to squeal in sudden panic. But after dropping a few feet, Calico released the button, and the cage jolted to a halt, it's underside only inches above the water. "Last chance, professor!"

But Richard was no longer focusing on Calico. He had eyes only for his daughter, as he strained against his bonds, desperately trying to get free. "Penny, just hang on, just hold on! Daddy's gonna take care of everything!"

"Dad..." Penny words may have been brave before, but now they betrayed her fear, which Richard knew must have been extreme!"

"Three!" Calico yelled, snapping Richard back to the reality of the situation.

"You're asking me for something I can't give!"

"It's your choice...two!"

"I can't just hand you the world!"

"ONE!"

"No, please...please!" Richard was literally begging now. He was being given two options...neither of which he would ever be able to live with if he allowed either of them to happen. It just was not fair!

"So be it!" Calico boomed, and with that, he slammed his hand down on the button, the cage sinking into the water.

"DADDY!" Penny's cry was one of pure, unrestrained, unfathomable terror...the terror of one who knows they are about to suffer a slow, painful death.

"PENNY!" Richard's cry was just as full of fear and panic, as his mind whirled into a spinning mess of thoughts and emotions. In his terror, he could not string a single thought together, and as such, he jumped on the first one that his mind finally pieced together, just as the cage sunk completely and Penny's cries were silenced. "YOU!" he roared, turning to face Calico, but unable to express his rage more thoroughly, thanks to his bounds.

Calico just leered at him, torn between angry impatience and savage glee. "No, professor, _you!_ You have the power to make this stop...you have the power to save your daughter...at least for now. Just tell me what I need to hear!"

Richard looked feverishly from Calico to the chain holding Penny's cage in the water, the only part that was still visible above the water. Save Penny...or give Calico the information that would take his plan to world domination one great big step further. Damn it, he did not really have a choice! Either way, he knew that he and Penny were going to die...it was a matter of choosing whether she died by his actions...or by Calico's.

And with that thought, the choice became all too clear.

"Alright! I'll do it, I'll do it! Just don't kill her!"

Calico's face lit up with an evil, malicious grin. "Wise choice, professor." He then pressed another button on the console, and the cage slowly raised itself back up, out of the water, Penny sputtering and gasping for air, seemingly relieved to be alive. Then she turned and looked at her father, and her face fell when she saw him...she knew, he realised. She knew that he had been defeated, that Calico had, after two weeks, finally broken him.

"Dad..."

"I'm sorry, Penny." Richard looked into his daughter's eyes, silently pleading her forgiveness. "I'm so sorry..."


	38. Chapter 37: The Netherworld

**Chapter 37**

**The Netherworld**

Wha...What is this? Where am I?

_Bolt's mind was a hazy mess. He saw nothing but black. He heard nothing but an extremely faint whispering of some, fractional wind. He felt nothing, either, which gave him the distinct impression that he was floating. In fact, none of his senses seemed to be registering anything at all. Combined with the fact that he had no ability to string a thought together, and that he had no memory of anything; his name, his age, who - or even what - he was...Bolt felt like he was a drifting wraith floating eternally in some strange netherworld where only he existed. _What is happening? Who am I?

_Then, with excruciating slowness, Bolt felt his senses start to return. His hearing was the first thing, the faint whispering turning into a garbled mess of what must have been voices. But who? And what were they talking about? Bolt tried to listen harder, but the voices were too distant, too distorted to make out, although they were beginning to clear. Bolt realised that he had no choice but to wait._

_Then his feeling returned, and finally, Bolt got a sense of what he was. He had no memory of any creatures in the existing world, or that a world other than his realm of blackness even existed. All he knew was that he could feel a large, muscular body covered in a layer of fur, with four legs, a long, furry tail, and a snouted face with two large, erect ears. With the return of his feeling, he also discovered that he was not floating, rather that he was lying down on some unseen surface...that he could not see because his eyes were closed. Slowly, feeling exceptionally weak, he opened his eyes._

_And when he did, all his senses came blazing back to life in an instant._

_Bolt found himself lying on a soft, cushioned surface, that was raised off of a carpeted floor that compromised of a small room. Looking around, Bolt's memory offered him no recollection of this room, or how he got here. All he knew was that it was a bedroom of some sort. He was lying on the soft blanket draped across the bed itself. He looked around, taking in the room. On the wall directly across the room from where he was, he saw numerous photos, almost all of them depicting a similar image; that of a young girl, with flaming red hair, holding a White Shepherd by her side, both looking like they could never be more happier than the moment they had captured in that photo...together. They both looked familiar, in a way, but once again, Bolt's memory offered up no solutions. He felt as if he had sprung into existence, with someone else's feelings and vague impressions, but not their memories._

_Before he could inspect the room further, the only door leading into the room was flung open, and the red-haired girl from the photo burst into the room, looking excited. "Bolt!" she called excitedly. Bolt did not respond, having no recollection of the name...no clue that it was his own. In the corner behind Bolt, though, another creature did, which Bolt recognised immediately as the other half of all those photos...the White Shepherd. The large dog sprang to its feet in an instant, looking up at the girl in absolute adoration and love. _This dog...Bolt, _the nether-world Bolt thought, _must really love this girl.

_But as the dog and girl embraced, and left the room, the world began to ripple, distort, and fade around the netherworld-Bolt, fading away almost as quickly as it had appeared. He wanted it to stop, he wanted to learn more about this girl and her companion, but the world around him, obviously, had other ideas. Within seconds, the world had faded to black, netherworld-Bolt left to ponder what would happen now. Would something else happen, or would he be left to wander the black nothingness for eternity?_

_He was finally answered when, after a brief moment of drifting in the blackness, the world began to re-form around him, swirling and clearing back into focus slowly, as if it were teasing the netherworld-Bolt with the endless possibilities. When it finally did re-form completely, the netherworld-Bolt found that he was not in the same bedroom as before. Rather, he was now standing up, and he was standing on a table in the middle of a kitchen which, judging by the matching style, was part of the same household as the bedroom._

_"So, how was school, Penny?"_

_Netherworld-Bolt whipped around at the voice, finding a lean, unkempt man sitting at the table, slowly eating, whilst talking with the red-haired girl from before, who must have been called Penny. Again, the name seemed familiar to the netherworld-Bolt, but without any memories, he simply cast the lingering familiarity aside._

_Penny shrugged. "It was okay, I guess. Same as always. Bolt didn't like it, though...did you, boy?"_

_Netherworld-Bolt looked down over the edge of the table, to find the White Shepherd from before, the other Bolt, lying by Penny's side, his eyes closed in complete contentment as Penny scratched him behind the ear. Netherworld-Bolt got the distinct impression from the way that Penny seemed intent to focus her attention away from the man talking to her, that there was some tension between the two of them._

_But whatever that tension was, he never got to see what it was about, for the world began to dissolve around him once more. Netherworld-Bolt realised, at this point, that he was experiencing a series of visions, that were tracking some critical moments in the life of this small family. Why he was experiencing these, and what would happen when these visions finished, he did not know. All he could really do was go along with them, and see what they showed him._

_When the world re-materialised around him, the netherworld-Bolt found that it was now night-time, and that he was back in the bedroom from before, obviously Penny's bedroom. This time he found himself on the ground, and looking up at the bed, he noticed that both Penny and the other Bolt were up there, and that both of them were fast asleep. The netherworld-Bolt could help but be amazed at the strength of the relationship between the two of them. They were obviously both from completely different species, and yet they never seemed to let each other of of their sights. That sort of closeness and companionship was something special, he realised. With the thought, he came to envy the two of them, the way they constantly stayed together, supporting one another, the sort of unconditional friendship that would never die...no matter what disasters life decided to throw at them. He wanted to be a part of something like that...but without even knowing who or what he was, he could never even hope to try. Besides, in this strange world, no-one seemed to notice him...it was like he did not exist._

_But before his thoughts could wander any more, the netherworld-Bolt noticed the door opening, very slowly. Whoever was opening it obviously did not want to disturb the two of them. When the door opened fully, netherworld-Bolt was not too surprised to noticed that the man from before was there, looking at the two sleeping figures before him, a range of emotions splayed across his face. There was love, adoration, and yet a lingering sadness and...guilt? The netherworld-Bolt tried to come up with an explanation for this as the man entered the room, but found none. It was only when the man slowly, gently heaved the other Bolt up into his arms that he became alert. _What's he doing?_ he thought wildly. _Why is he taking Bolt away?!

_But before the netherworld-Bolt could do anything, and as the man made to leave the room, the guilt now even more prominent on his face, the world dissolved once more. But when it came back, the visions started flowing faster, and the netherworld-Bolt watched with a growing sense of familiarity, as though he had seen all of these moments before. The next vision he witnessed was one of a heated argument between Penny and the man, who he soon realised was her dad, over the other Bolt, who now had a large, black lightning-bolt mark on his left flank. The netherworld-Bolt knew that the mark had not been there before, and that the mark was a sign of some strange, violent power inside the White Shepherd._

_But that vision quickly moved on, and the next one was of Penny cowering in yet another room in the house, while a strangely-clothed man with a large, metal weapon of some sort tried to kill her. The netherworld-Bolt watched in fascinated horror as the other Bolt entered the situation, and in the space of a few seconds, killed two of the strange men, and knocking out the third, using some strange new super-powers he had._

_The next few visions all showed Penny and the other Bolt fighting off these strange, dangerous men. The netherworld Bolt, powerless to do anything but watch, found himself becoming more and more horrified at the actions of the White Shepherd. While it was obvious that the other Bolt was acting on an instinct to protect Penny at all costs, the violence and sheer lack of remorse or restraint left the netherworld-Bolt in a state of fear. With those powers, the White Shepherd was turning into an uncontrollable killing machine...one that showed no remorse. The netherworld-Bolt looked at all of this, disgust rising in him. Was this creature's mission to protect the girl he loved really worth all the life he was taking...especially since many of those lives could have been spared?_

_But the visions kept coming, the netherworld Bolt forced to watch as the duo moved through a large city, being chased by strange machines and men that the other Bolt continued to put down with a clinical, furious precision that left him even more worried for the White Shepherd. He was heading down a very dangerous path. If someone did not stop this dog's violent rampage, there was every chance he would turn to a darker, more selfish life, and possibly turn on the girl he loved._

_The visions slowed down for a brief moment when the girl and the White Shepherd reached a coastal town, where the other Bolt met two other dogs, soon going for a walk with one of them, a German Shepherd who went by the name of Mindy - a name that once again triggered a lingering sense of familiarity, but once again his empty mind denied him any conclusion to these feelings. The other Bolt was obviously awkward in her presence. There seemed to be a certain sense of cautious suspicion coming from the white dog, whilst a the same time an obvious feeling of affection towards this Mindy. The netherworld-Bolt simply put it down to the simple fact that the other Bolt, in all the other visions, had never met another creature like himself, and as such was a little awkward around one such creature._

_But soon the visions moved on again, and it went back to the displays of senseless violence, which once again was used lethally where lives could have been spared. _Will someone ever end the madness?_ the netherworld-Bolt screamed inwardly, knowing that speaking was useless. Even though he was seeing these visions as if they were real, that he was right there in the action, he knew that he was not part of the world, that he could not interact with it in any way._

_Then the next vision showed a rather evil-looking man, with a sickeningly green eye, take Penny away, and leave the other Bolt behind, crushed and devastated. The netherworld-Bolt, despite resenting the White Shepherd for the unspeakable horrors he had committed, could not help but feel sorry for him as his whole life was torn away from him, leaving him with nothing but his violent powers, and his misery._

_The visions continued to move on, however, the netherworld-Bolt watching as the other Bolt, now in the company of a black cat, travelled back the way he had come, presumably to chase down Penny. Then the visions moved back to the coastal town, where he was forced to watch in shocking despair as the other Bolt was ambushed by two more thugs, and mortally wounded in the process. Finally, for the first time since the visions started, he found himself able to move freely, and immediately rushed to the White Shepherd's side, even though he knew that the dog could not see him, and he himself could not help the other Bolt in any way. All he could do was try to convey some unseen message, at least try to comfort the dog in his final living moments._

_Then the other Bolt looked straight at him!_

_It was no mistake, no fluke...the White Shepherd had actually acknowledged his presence! As the two of them stared into each other's eyes, the other Bolt's glinted with recognition...and sadness? But before the netherworld-Bolt could pursue the curious transfer of emotions further, the White Shepherd fainted, his wound finally taking its toll._

_The vision, like the others, began to fade, but there was something different in the way it left...the dog remained in focus whilst the rest of the world slowly dissolved away. But the netherworld-Bolt ignored this, his mind focused on one thought: _Why had the dog recognised me? _Slowly, for the first time, he looked down at his own body._

_His jaw dropped._

_He saw himself...the four legs, the tail, the paws, the white fur...and the black lightning-bolt mark. The only difference between himself and the other Bolt was one thing: the other Bolt was covered in a thick layer of dirt and grime from his travels, where he was not, his fur was as white as snow. But there was no mistaking it, and he looked upon the situation with an ultimate sense of dread, realising the terrible, shocking implications of the one fact that simply could not be denied._

_He was the White Shepherd that had caused untold death and destruction. He was Bolt!_


	39. Chapter 38: Weight of the Past

**Chapter 38**

**Weight of the Past**

Bolt's mind snapped back to life in an instant, his thoughts and memories returning to him with shocking suddenness. His memory of his last moments, when he realised he had been shot, came back to him, and for a moment, he was terribly confused. _What is this? Am I dead?_

His body was recovering much more slowly, but it had recovered enough feeling for him to feel a lingering ache in his right hind leg. The pain helped to drag him from his delirious semi-consciousness, and make him realise that he was still alive. But how? How had he survived what ultimately should have been a deadly wound. Determined to find out, Bolt slowly opened his eyes.

The moment he saw where he was, his eyes snapped open. "Wha...? No!" He made to jump up, but howled in agony as his leg protested the movement fiercely. He looked down at the leg, and was mildly surprised to find that it was heavily bandaged, although his fur was still immensely dirty, even around the bandages. Whatever had been done to save him, the creatures that did it, almost certainly humans, had not had time to clean the area. Bolt realised he must be extremely lucky to be alive. Then he remembered where he was, and looked around once more.

He was standing on a soft cushion, which itself was sitting inside a small cage, which was only just big enough so that Bolt could move around with some freedom. The cage was sitting in a large room, whose walls were lined with similar cages. "Where am I?" Bolt wondered aloud.

"Well, look who's awake and breathing!"

Bolt spun at the voice, which was extremely familiar. Looking through the grating of several cages, he finally saw the source of the voice, and his heart, and his mind, stopped for a brief second. There, in another cage down the other end of the room, was Mindy!

"Mindy!" Bolt cried. "What is this? What's going on?"

"Whoa, buddy, slow down a little!" Mindy yelled, although her voice was soothing, calming. "You were in pretty bad shape when they dragged you in here. You're probably going to be a little confused."

"'Here'?" Bolt repeated, still confused. "Where's here?"

"This is the vet," Mindy replied simply, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Now Bolt, don't ask any more questions, just take a moment, calm down, and sit back down before you fall down. That leg of yours must be hurting terribly."

Bolt wanted to argue, to know exactly what happened to him, but he stopped himself. Mindy was right, he just needed a moment. Besides, her gentle voice was already calming him, why not let the effect take its course? He felt his injured leg burning, protesting that it was being used to help him stand up, so he slowly, gently laid himself back down, breathing deeply, slowly calming his shocked and panicking mind. He had never been caged in like this before, and he was beginning to feel claustrophobic. But finally, once he calmed himself back down, he turned back to Mindy. "Okay, now, what are you doing here?"

"Me?" Mindy laughed, although it sounded forced. "I've been stuck in here since that cat tried to kill us both. First they had to fix my leg, and now, well..." Mindy's face fell. What she was about to say she obviously did not like. "...they're waiting for someone from the regional pound to come and get me, and a whole bunch of other stray animals this place has treated in the past few weeks."

"The pound?" Bolt had never heard of such a place. But, judging by the sadness in Mindy's voice, it was not a good place.

"Oh, of course," Mindy said, looking at Bolt with an expression he had never seen on her before. It was like a mix of envious jealousy, and even a hint of loathing. "You've had a person you're whole life, you would not know of the pound." She sighed, then continued. "The pound is a place that stray animals get sent to if they're caught by the human authorities. They're sent there and locked up, and very few of them ever come back out again. Because the only way you can escape from the pound, is if a human adopts you as their pet, and let's face it, humans have much better ways of getting their pets."

Bolt was stunned. "You mean...strays like you are just...taken away and locked up?"

Mindy nodded, her jealousy still obvious. "Dogs like you get to live the happy life, never aware of the horrific things some humans do to us animals, while strays like us live a life of constant fear. That's why I wanted to learn about you, Bolt, that day you came to the beach with your person. Not only were you another Shepherd, but you had the life I had always desired, from the moment I lost my family. I was hoping I would be able to teach you of what it's like to live as a stray, to make you understand what I've had to go through, and what you would have to go through if you ever lost your person. I don't know, I guess I was secretly hoping that..." she stopped, looking at Bolt, noticing that his face had fallen, as memories of Penny weighed him down once more. "Bolt, what is it? Was it something I said?"

"Penny," Bolt said, struggling to find words. He liked Mindy, and he trusted her. He was willing to tell her what had happened. "I...I lost her, Mindy. Penny was captured, taken away."

Mindy looked at Bolt, obviously shocked by the revelation. "What?"

But Bolt never heard her, for he had just remembered the series of visions he had experienced while on the verge of death, and, with shocking suddenness, understood their meaning. He had just experienced a brief series of flashes of his own life...but with his memory removed, so that he had been able to look upon his own actions from a new perspective...and what he had seen had shocked and terrified him.

He had turned into a devastating killing machine. His powers had given him a new strength, and he had used them, not for good, not to help others, but for his own selfish desires. He had done it for no more reason than to protect Penny, because he could not live without her, and he had killed anyone who stood in his way. Bile rose in Bolt's throat as he realised, with a final sense of dread, that he was no better than Calico.

"Oh, no..." Bolt looked at his own paws, and for a brief moment, he saw the dirt that covered them instead as blood, the blood of the countless humans he had killed, all so he could live the life _he _wanted. "...What have I done?" Guilt flooded through him, the guilt of realising he had committed so many terrible crimes...the guilt of a creature who knows that the things he has done can never, ever be forgiven.

"Bolt..." Mindy was speaking slowly, cautiously, realising that Bolt was not himself. "What's wrong? What do you mean, 'what have you done'?"

Bolt looked up at Mindy, and in a single, terrifying instant, saw what his powers could make him do to her. "Stay back!" Bolt instantly clambered away from her, pushing himself as far into the corner of his cage as he possibly could, as far away from Mindy as he possibly could. "Stay away from me, Mindy!"

"Bolt," Mindy gave a weak, worried laugh. "I can't get any closer, damn cages...but what's wrong?"

"Just..."Bolt was panicking now, shaking, worried that at any moment he could explode and his powers would sent him on a massive killing rampage. "...just stay back, okay! Don't come near me! I don't want...I've done terrible things, Mindy. Terrible things...I've killed...I've killed so many...I don't want to hurt you, too." Bolt was rambling, but he didn't care. He curled himself up in that far corner as tightly as he could, wrapping his paws around himself, as if he was desperately trying to hold himself back.

"What do you mean, Bolt," Mindy was really worried for Bolt now. "You're not making any sense."

"I told you before that me and my person were travelling because Calico had taken her father captive, and that we were working to rescue him. But it's not quite true. Penny was working to rescue him...I was working to protect myself, and my own interests. I only protected Penny because she was the only thing that made my life worth living. But now I can't go back to her...I can't save her, not now...not now I know the things I've done. Mindy, I've killed...during our travels, I killed humans...and I killed lots of them. I killed them because they were trying to hurt Penny...but I didn't have to. I could have let them go, I could have just hurt them, made them stay away, but no...I had to kill. And now that I've seen it...now that I've seen what I've done..." Bolt's guilt, grief, despair and misery all flooded him at once, overwhelming him. "...How can Penny take me back, after everything I've done. How can _I_ go on, knowing what I have done, for my own, selfish desires?"

Mindy just stared at Bolt as he curled back up, watching her. He wasn't watching her for a response, more just making sure that she did not attempt to get closer, and so that he could see how long he would have to stop himself if he did lose control. It was obvious from the look on her face that she was stunned beyond belief...and Bolt was as well. He had just spilled his heart, and some of his darkest secrets, to a German Shepherd he barely knew. But he knew her better than any other dog, and that was enough for him.

Finally, Mindy seemed to come back to her senses, and her voice grew hard and serious, which Bolt had never heard from her before. "Bolt, you listen to me, okay? I don't know you that well, but I know enough to understand this: You are not a monster. You are one of the most loyal dogs I have seen. You say you protected Penny for your own selfish desires, but I know better...you protected her because you love her...that is why you can't bear the thought of a world without her. That is not being selfish, that is love, and it is a good thing. And by the sounds of it, you had no idea until now what you were doing when you were killing those people, if that is even true. And trust me, Bolt, because I am telling the truth here: If you killed those people to protect your person, then in my mind, you are already forgiven."

Mindy's words did not convince Bolt of his own innocence, but they did at least offer some small comfort, allowed him to release his restrictive hold on himself as he sat back up, looking at Mindy, who continued to speak.

"You are a good dog, Bolt. You have a loyalty and honesty that you do not see very often. That is why I liked you...that is why I wanted to be friends with you all those days ago, because I saw through the strong, silent shell you put over yourself...I saw the good dog inside...the hero, who will do anything for those he loves. I saw someone I could relate, and yet, at the same time, someone who had those heroic traits that I so wished I had myself."

Mindy's face fell as Bolt moved slightly closer to her, curious. He did not see himself as a hero...he was the villain now, and he knew it. But the honesty, the openness in Mindy voice could not be denied.

But she was not finished. "When that man attacked my family's house, I...I lied to you. I was not outside, sleeping when it happened. I was inside, with my person. I tried to ward off the man, but the moment he pulled one of those human guns, I..." Shame filled her entire body as she hesitated. "...I fled, Bolt. I ran, and I left my person, and his family, to their fate. I was a coward, and every day, from that day on, I have hated myself for it. Hated myself for not having the courage to defend my person, to be there when he really needed me." She looked up at him, and now Bolt saw his own guilt, the very same guilt he was feeling, reflected in her own expression. "You say you can never be forgiven for killing all those people? You killed them to protect the one you love. Me? In running, I am responsible for killing the the family I loved. Your cause was just, even if your methods were questionable, and that means you can be forgiven. Me...even if I am never blamed, I will never forgive myself."

Bolt's jaw dropped as he stared at her. He had spilled his heart to her, and she had returned the favour. Now Bolt understood why she never seemed to be quite happy, and why she latched on to him when they first met...why they befriended each other so easily. Because they saw themselves reflected in each other's eyes. The same troubled pasts...the same lingering feelings of guilt...the same desire to have their lives return to what they once were, to re-live that sense of peace and contentment.

"Soon, the human will come to deliver me to the pound...and I am ready." Mindy's voice was sincere, and her eyes betrayed no hesitation. "For over a year I have wandered the streets of this town, lingering in my guilt, struggling to survive, trying to make myself more courageous, so that, if the time comes where I get another chance to protect those I love, that next time, I will not run. But I can't, Bolt. I am a coward, and I am responsible for my person's death. I belong in the pound, where I spend a month or two locked up, until they finally decide that I will never be accepted by another person. And when that happens, they will kill me, and I will finally get what I deserve."

Bolt just kept staring at Mindy, struggling to believe what he was hearing. She had done nothing wrong, and yet had resigned herself to death! bolt knew that, in reality, he should be the one heading to the pound, not Mindy. He was the one who deserved nothing...it was Mindy who had, in her efforts to change her ways, deserved her second chance.

And with that, Bolt's fire and determination returned. He could never live with himself, not now that he knew what he had done, but he could at least attempt to right some of the wrongs he had committed, try to make some small amends before he ended his own life, and ridding the world of the monster he had become.


	40. Chapter 39: Powerless

**Chapter 39**

**Powerless**

Bolt turned to Mindy, the flare back in his eyes. "I'm gonna get you out of here."

Mindy's jaw dropped. "What?"

"You don't deserve the pound, Mindy, I do. I'm the one who committed the worse crimes. Your only crime is feeling fear, of running when the situation gets dangerous, which is no crime. I'm the one who killed when I did not have to. I don't deserve this life, and I most certainly don't deserve Penny, but before that, I will at least free you, and give you the chance to live your life as you should have. I will get you out of here, Mindy!"

Mindy just stared at Bolt, before bursting into laughter. "How, Bolt? Exactly how do you plan on getting us out of here? We're both trapped in these cages, and only the humans working here have the keys to open them! You can't get me out of here, because you can't even get yourself out of here!"

But Bolt was not listening. He had just realised that, in order to save Mindy, he was going to have to reveal his deepest, darkest secret to her...his powers. He could not help but worry about how she would react to the notion that her friend wielded enough power inside him to kill a small army of humans. In the end, it did not matter, he realised sadly. His life was over...it was hers that mattered now, and he would give her the second chance she deserved to live it her way.

Slowly, Bolt pulled himself onto his feet, whining as his foot protested, but still using it. Pain was of no importance any more, he had to shut it out. He walked over to the cage door, leaning his forepaws against the metal mesh, before drawing on his power and...

...his power never came.

_What?_ Confused, Bolt tried to draw on it again, this time focusing his attention on it, as he reached inside his mind for his power. But it was not there...it was almost as if it had disappeared from his mind. _No...no!_ Desperate, Bolt searched frantically through his mind for it, refusing to believe it. He just wanted to do one last good deed, repay a small part of the wrongs he had committed, but now his power had left him, abandoned him in his one time of true, selfless need...

And then he found it. It had retreated deep into the darkest corner of his mind, and when he tested it, he found that he could use it, but it was exceptionally weak. Then Bolt remember when he had escaped from the exploding Bolivia facility, how his powers had felt drained afterwards, his powers seemingly needing to rely on his own personal health for their strength. Bolt looked down at the mark, and stopped, stunned.

It was almost completely gone! His mark was barely visible underneath the dirty fur...it had almost completely faded. Bolt then looked at the wound on his leg, and put it together. The wound had nearly killed him, and even now, although still alive, he still felt weak, the huge loss of blood still affecting him. It seemed that it was also affecting his powers.

"No, no, no!" Bolt pushed against the cage door, desperately trying to open, fighting to get his weakened powers to work, just for a second. "Please...not now!" But his powers stubbornly refused to respond to his commands, and his strength remained frustratingly normal.

Mindy looked at him, looking slightly concerned. "Bolt...are you okay?"

Bolt continued to ignore her, fighting for a couple of minutes to break the door down, but to no avail. In the end, all he succeeded in doing was tiring his weakened body out completely, until he finally slumped back down to the floor, feeling completely hopeless, like a complete failure.

"Bolt! Bolt, listen!" Mindy yelled, Bolt finally hearing her and looking her way.

"I'm sorry, Mindy. I...I can't."

"What is going on, Bolt? You're acting really strange. What made you think you could open up that door?"

Bolt sighed, knowing he was going to have to reveal his secret. "Because there was a time when I could. But now..." Bolt decided to avoid mentioning his powers...he was just look insane. "...but now I'm too weak."

"What do you mean?" Mindy asked, a perplexed look on her face. "You're not making any sense."

But Bolt's mind lost track. He had remembered the circumstances around how he had been shot, and was still unable to believe he had survived. "What happened to me, Mindy? Did you see when they brought me in here?"

Mindy gave Bolt a sad look. "You don't want to know what happened to you, Bolt. Trust me, it's better if you don't remember."

"Mindy," Bolt sighed. "I do remember what happened to me, but I don't understand how I survived."

Mindy lowered her head. The memory she was reliving was obviously very painful. "I was being brought back here after my daily check-up when the three of you were brought in. The first..."

"Wait, wait, wait, back up a second." Bolt was now the one who was confused. "The three of us?"

"Yeah: you, Zip, and that cat that attacked us the last time I saw you."

In that moment, Bolt remembered Mittens and Zippy. "Oh, no, they were there, too. What happened to them?"

But Mindy ignored him. "Hang on, exactly how did you get so badly wounded?"

"I was shot," Bolt answered, looking at Mindy, puzzled. Something obviously wasn't connection between the two of them. "I was with Mittens and Zippy when two humans attacked us. I stopped them, but I got shot doing so."

"Wait, Mittens? Is that the name of the cat?"

And then it all fell into place for Bolt. Mindy had no idea that he had been shot. She didn't know that Mittens was on his side now, and so she must have assumed that the cat had hurt him so badly. "Yes, she's Mittens, and she's not bad any more. She was working for Calico, that man I was hunting, but now she's helping me. Are she and Zippy okay?"

"Bolt, trust me, you don't - "

"Just tell me!" Bolt yelled, finally losing his patience. Realising that he was beginning to scare Mindy, he calmed himself down before continuing. "Sorry. I didn't mean to yell, I just...I've been through a lot, lately. Now, tell me what you saw when all three of us were brought in here. And tell me everything."

Mindy recovered from the shock of Bolt's sudden outburst, then continued, her voice growing sadder and sadder as she spoke. "I saw the cat first. She seemed perfectly fine, and was babbling on about something, I didn't really listen. You were brought in next, on some trolley. All I remember was that you weren't moving, and your leg was covered in blood. The only reason I knew you were alive was that the people taking you away were saying that they needed to hurry if they were going to save you." At this, Mindy stopped. It was obvious that what she had to say next was hard for her to accept.

Bolt knew exactly what she was avoiding. He remember one of the last things he saw before fainting was Zippy, lying on the ground, not moving. "Mindy," he said gently. "What about Zippy?"

The response was a long time coming. "He...he was..." she looked up at Bolt, her eyes brimming with grief. "He was already dead when they brought him in. He didn't make it."

Bolt actually stumbled backwards. The shock of the news actually felt like a physical blow to him. He may not have known Zippy that well, nor was he particularly fond of him. But he was the first creature Bolt had known, that was not part of Calico's gathering, that had been killed in this struggle. Bolt's guilt once again rose hard and fast inside him. Zippy had been killed through his own actions. He was the one being hunted, he was the one in danger, and he had pulled Zippy straight into the ambush...he was responsible for the little Jack Russell's death...

But where had the ambush come from? As far as anyone working for Calico was concerned, he was supposed to have died in the explosion at the Bolivia facility. How had those two men known that he was still alive? How had they hunted him down? He was dead in the eyes of Calico, it simply made no sense...and then it hit him.

The thought sickened him, but it was the only reasonable explanation. _Mittens,_ Bolt thought sourly, hate and betrayal rising through him. Mittens had double-crossed him...she had pretended to befriend him, pretended to defect from Calico's cause, when in truth, she was secretly telling Calico's men that he was alive, and where he was! Bolt's escape plan now had two missions: He was going to get Mindy out of this place, and away from a cruel fate at the pound, whilst at the same time, he would find Mittens...and demand an explanation. He did not know if he could kill her for her betrayal, not after what he had seen in his vision...but he was certain that he would make her pay.

"Mindy, where's Mittens...the cat?" Bolt turned back to Mindy, his face set, ready. "When I was brought in with her, where did they take her?"

Mindy seemed surprised at the new, hard edge to Bolt's voice, but answered. "The cats are kept in a separate part of this place, thankfully. Probably somewhere nearby." Her voice softened. "But Bolt, you still can't get out."

But Bolt would not hear any of it. The old version of him...Penny's protector, the dog with the powers that could, and would, do anything for his cause, was back...and he would not be denied simply because his powers refused to come out and play. He once again grabbed the grating of the cage door, and pushed against it with all his might, whilst at the same time pushing deep into his mind. Rather than calling upon his powers, as he usually did, instead he forcefully reached for them, and practically dragged them from the depths of his mind. They may be weakened and diminished, but he did not need much from them.

His powers took effect slowly...but surely. He felt his strength rise as the sliver of remaining power spread through him, and he focused it on his paws as he continued to push against the door, and he felt the metal begin to give under his force and will. _Yes!_

Finally, with a loud metallic clang, the lock holding the cage door shut snapped, and the door sprung open instantly, Bolt tumbling out onto the floor of the room, free at last! "Yes!" he sprang to his feet. "I'm back!" He turned to face Mindy, and stopped. She was staring at him with a look of bewildered amazement.

"How...how did you do that?"

Bolt sighed, but again decided to stall just a little longer. He knew he would look silly unless he showed her something that definitively proved that he had powers. "Just stay back, and I'll show you another trick." Mindy did as she was told, and once Bolt checked, and made sure that she was completely out of the way, he then stared at the locked holding her cage shut, focusing his powers on his eyes, not knowing exactly what would happen in his weakened state.

In the end, his Heat-Vision did work, but it was a pathetic excuse for the laser-like effect it usually produced. The beams of light that blasted from his eyes were thin, feeble things, and it took them several seconds to finally cut through the lock. When they did, Bolt pushed Mindy's cage open, gesturing for her to follow him.

She remained perfectly still, range of emotions spread across her body. Shock, amazement...and even fear. "How...how did you...what are you?"

It was obvious to Bolt that she was scared of him now...scared of what he could do. He tried to be as gentle and reassuring as possible when he replied. "I'm just like you, Mindy. I am just another dog...I've just...been _altered_, that's all. I swear, Mindy...I would never do anything to intentionally hurt you."

Mindy did not seem convinced, remaining in the cage. "But how...how did you get these...abilities?"

"In truth, Mindy, I don't know. All I know is that Penny's father, the man we've been searching for all this time, did something to me one day, after forcing me to sleep, and when I woke up, I had these powers. I never asked for them...I never wanted them. With the death I've caused with them, I really want nothing more than to throw them away, get rid of them...but I know that is not going to happen, so all I can do is help you as best I can." With this, Bolt moved away from Mindy's cage, giving her a clear path to the door. "Go...get out...you're free. I've done what I promised."

"I...You..." Mindy struggled for a time to string a sentence together. The shock of what she had just witnessed still talking effect. "What will you do?" she finally asked.

"I have to confront Mittens," Bolt finally said. "She's the reason I'm in here, and Zippy's dead. I have to understand why she did it...why she would pretend to help me...to even be my friend, and then throw it all away like that. After that, I don't know...I don't think I can keep on living with the guilt of all those lives I took." He shook his head, snapping himself out of his thoughts. "But this is not about me, it's about you...now go, run! Find your old life, or seek a new one, whichever you want. Just find somewhere where you can be happy...you deserve that much."

Mindy struggled for a moment to take all this in. Then, finally, something sparked in her eyes, and she stood, walking out of the cage. "I'm coming with you."

"What?" Bolt did not expect that. "I...but, if you're caught - "

"Bolt, as I had told you just before, I have spent the last year as a stray. Every day I regret running from my family in their time of need, and I vowed to myself that, if I was ever faced with a similar situation again, that I would stand and fight for the cause rather than run and protect my own petty life. This is that chance. Zippy was a good friend, and I want to know why he had to die, as well."

"But..." Bolt wanted to argue, wanted her to be safe, but the fire in her eyes told him it was useless...she was simply too determined. "I see you have found your courage after all," he finally said, causing her to smile weakly at him.

"Besides," Mindy added. "We have to save them."

Bolt froze. "Who?"

"Them," Mindy gestured around the room, "the other strays. I will not save myself from the horrors of the pound, only to watch all these others get sent to that awful place as well. We have a chance to save many dogs, and other animals, too, from a terrible fate. We have to help them."

Bolt stopped at the thought. He was being given an interesting choice. He could simply let Mindy go free and find Mittens, or he could those _and_ work to save many more stray animals in the process. The latter option was much more risky, leaving them with a far greater chance of being caught...but if it worked, he would be doing what was, to Bolt, the first truly good deed he had ever done in his life.

To him, the answer was obvious. "Alright, Mindy, let's do this your way...let's free them all!"


	41. Chapter 40: The Escape

**Chapter 40**

**The Escape**

Bolt and Mindy looked around the room, at all the other sleeping dogs. Bolt realised, for the first time, that it must have been night-time. "Okay, so, how do we get their attention?" He looked around at all the snoring, sleeping figures around him, all imprisoned in their cages.

Mindy smiled at Bolt, before sitting in the middle of the room, and barking loudly. The single, loud yap was so powerful it made Bolt's ears sting. _She has quite a voice on her,_ he thought, with mild admiration. But the bark yielded no results, the dogs continuing to sleep away.

Mindy gave a knowing look towards Bolt. "If you're not a heavy sleeper, you'll never get any sleep in here." She then turned back and barked again, louder this time, but again having no luck, every single dog in the room continuing to sleep on, completely unaware of the intended rescue effort going on.

But then Bolt had an idea, as he fiddled idly with the power in his mind, which was still exceptionally weak, but now responded instantly to his every command. He had now bent it to his will, and it now obeyed him without question or hesitation. He drew upon what power he had, and focused it around his mouth and neck, just checking to see if the idea was even possible. His powers flowed through his body freely, and concentrated on the desired areas...but would it yield results? He knew that there were certain things his powers could not do, but was this one of them? "Let me try," he said, moving into Mindy's place as she stepped aside. But as Bolt focused his powers more acutely around his vocal cords, he stopped, turning back to Mindy. "Cover your ears...this will probably hurt."

Mindy, having seen Bolt's impossible displays before, did as she was told without question, although she did look at Bolt curiously, wondering what he would do. Bolt, on the other hand, sat down, and took a few deep breaths, steadying himself and making sure his power was being used to its fullest extend in its diminished condition. Finally, he took a deep breath and, silently hoping this would work, unleashed a single, loud bark, throwing all of his voice, and his powers, behind it.

Enhanced by his powers, the bark's volume and power were multiplied ten-fold, the loud yap so loud it shook the entire room, rattling the cages and even cracking the floor slightly, so loud that Bolt was certain it must have been heard clear across town. Bolt for his part, did not expect one side-effect of the bark's ferocity, and as such was stunned when the back-blast from it flung him off his feet, sending him crashing to the floor a few feet away from where he had been sitting.

"Bolt!" Mindy rushed to Bolt's side, looking down at him in worry as he shook himself off and got back to his feet, a little stunned, but not hurt.

"I'm okay." Bolt looked down at his mark when he was back on his feet. It was still faded, almost invisible, but Bolt got the distinct impression that it had regained some of its former fullness, even if he could not tell. "Phew! That wasn't quite what I expected!"

"Exactly what abilities do you have?" Mindy asked.

Bolt thought about this, realising he had never thought of the idea himself. "You know, I really don't know. My power enhances my strength and speed, and gives me that Heat-Vision you saw earlier...but I'm not sure exactly how much my power allows me to do."

"You mean, it's not just certain powers?" Mindy was really curious now.

"No, it's..." Bolt struggled to come up with a way to explain it. "...it's like...it's like there something...some presence, in my mind. When I call on it, it flows through me, becomes a part of me, and it gives me these powers when it does that. But it's not limitless, I can, and have before, worn it out. And, if I'm badly injured, like now, my powers also become weak as well. This, presence, or whatever it is, is directly connected to me."

Mindy stopped, thinking for a moment, but never got the chance to ask whatever her next question was going to be.

"If you two are quite done, might I ask why you woke us all up?"

Bolt looked over at the cage the voice was coming from, and saw a creature that took his breath away.

It did not look too much different from a Shepherd, but there something about its appearance that Bolt found fascinating. It was slightly larger in general size than he and Mindy was. He had a slightly longer face than Bolt, but the same erect ears. His body was thinner and far more muscular than any other dog he had seen before. His fur was a rusty orange-tan colour. All-in-all, Bolt knew that this dog was not a Shepherd of any kind, and that, whatever it was, he was a dog that had a certain...wild side to him, Bolt couldn't help but think of a cross between a German Shepherd and a wolf of some kind.

Staring at the strange dog in wonder, Bolt's curiosity got the better of him. "Who...or what, are you?"

The dog seemed a little irritated by the change of subject, but still answered. "I thought you might react that way to me...not many other dogs know what I am. Now that I think about it, I don't think too many humans know about my kind, either." He paused at Bolt's _'get-on-with-it'_ expression, before continuing. "I am what is called a dingo. My name, for the record, is Buckaroo...but most just call me Bucky."

Bolt stared at Bucky. "A dingo?" he'd never heard of such a breed before.

Bucky smiled...obviously this was what he expected. He looked around, seemingly making sure all the other dogs in the room were awake and listening, before continuing. "Dingos are wild dogs from Australia. Australia is a distant land on the other side of the world, in case you didn't know. But enough about me, now what the bloody hell are you two doing yapping like the world's ending? Most of us are trying to sleep here!"

Bolt made to answer, but Mindy, it seemed, wanted to take charge. "My friend here is not your normal dog, either. He has...abilities...that will allow us free any of you who are going to the pound, and get you away from that awful place!"

At her words, many of the dogs started paying much more attention, and Bolt noticed the sparks of hope that began to flare in many of their eyes. But , as there was always going to be, someone had to complain. "What about those of us who have owners?"

Mindy smiled at the dog that had spoken. "Your people will come to pick you up in time...you don't have to worry about the pound."

Bucky cleared his throat, stopping everyone. "I have an owner, missy...but I have no interest in going back to her. She brought me here when I was perfectly happy back in Australia, and she mas never treated me right since she kept me here. To her, I am an exotic show-animal for her to show her friends, nothing more."

Bolt looked at Bucky, trying to figure out if there was truth behind his words, but he saw no lies. The dingo was proud, sure, but the desire to be free was there in his eyes...he could see it. He stepped forward, pulling everyone's attention from Mindy. Mindy may have started this rescue, but it was time for him to make a choice himself...to personally, without interference, make up part of his past mistakes. "You say your owner has mis-treated you?"

The dingo looked at Bolt. "She's a woman who cares for nothing but herself. She does not mis-treat me...but neither does she care for me. She is ignorant of anything outside her own body."

Bolt winced at the description, thinking about how much it sounded like his actions over the course of his adventure with Penny. "Then leaving you here to be taken back to her is no different than leaving others here to face the pound. If there is anyone else who wishes to be free of their owners, then we will help you, too!"

Bolt looked at Mindy, who seemed surprised by his new-found determination and certainty. "Bolt..."

"I can never make up for the mistakes I made in the past...but I can at least leave this world with one, final good deed...the only decent thing I will ever have done in my life."

But then Bucky interrupted. "Um, excuse me, but who are you?" Both Bolt and Mindy stared at him, but it was obvious that he was referring to Bolt.

"I'm Bolt."

"Okay...Bolt. First off, how can you help us escape? And second...why? Why do you want to help us?"

Bolt did not respond initially. He knew the answer to the first question easily enough...but the second? Exactly why was he helping them? Was it because it was the only good deed he would ever bring himself to do...because at least that way he could die, knowing that he had done at least something right? But Bolt quickly realised that it was not true, and when he did see the answer, he knew, in his heart, that he was finally doing the right thing.

Before answering, Bolt quickly drew on his powers, which were already strengthening, and blasted Bucky's cage door, with his Heat-Vision, breaking the lock in seconds. Everyone initially yelled and cowered away from the sight, but when it was over, Bucky, and all the other dogs, simply stared at Bolt in amazed wonder.

As Bucky slowly pushed himself free of his now-open cage, Bolt finally answered Bucky's questions. "That is how I am going to help you all. And why am I doing this?" Bolt looked Bucky squarely in the eye. "Because you all deserve to be happy...and because I am the only one who can help you."

Bucky, looked at Bolt, and the Shepherd saw something in the dingo's eyes, but he couldn't quite place exactly what it was amongst the sheer awe he had for Bolt's powers. Before Bolt could try and identify it properly, however, it disappeared, Bucky shaking his head, clearing his thoughts. "Alright, Bolt...thank you. Now get everyone else out and let's go!"

Bolt then set out getting all the other dogs out of the cages, leaving behind only those who had caring owners who would come back and collect them in time. Every time he lasered open a cage door, the dogs all flinched, obviously frightened by Bolt's strange power, but soon they learned to get used to it. During his lap around the room, opening the cages, Bolt could not help but stop and look back at Bucky and Mindy, who were both busy talking while he was freeing the others. Bolt could not help but wonder about Bucky. He was a dingo, a wild dog, born and bred to survive his entire life as a stray, far from humans. It created a certain aura around the dog...Bolt realised that Bucky's background meant he was very sure of himself, and more than capable of taking care of himself, too. And Mindy...

Bolt froze at the thought of the German Shepherd. Exactly what was it he saw in Mindy that had made him talk to her all those days ago? Bolt could not understand it...he had rarely had contact with any other dogs, since he had been so focused on Penny, but there, in that moment, he had, just for a short while, forgotten about his mission, and acted like a normal dog, just for a little bit. Mindy had given him an opportunity to change his life, to become just a little more normal...and now, he could not decide exactly where his feelings for her lay.

Bolt eventually shrugged off these thoughts, focusing on freeing all those dogs that wanted to be freed, which was roughly seven of them, a little under half of all the dogs in the room. His powers started to weaken again as he used them to within a fur strand of their limit, but they held on long enough for him to free the last dog, which was all he needed for the moment. But as all the dogs gathered around Bolt and Mindy in the middle of the room, Bolt saw a problem. "Hang on...won't the humans try to stop us if they see us escaping?"

Mindy laughed. "Two things, Bolt. First, it's the middle of the night, so no humans will be awake. And second, this place is a simple animal hospital...they don't have guards to watch over the place. We'll be able to get out just fine."

"Good..." With that problem out of the way, Bolt thought about his other goal in this place...to find Mittens and get her to tell him why she betrayed him, why she led those two men to him...why she killed Zippy. But in his search for answers, he also saw another opportunity. "Alright, does anyone here know what other animals are kept here?"

"Any animal that is sick or hurt is kept here for a time, but only dogs and cats are allowed to stay here at night-time, as far as I'm aware." The dog that was speaking, one of the ones still in their cage, looked at Bolt curiously. "Why? What are you...? You're not seriously thinking of freeing the cats, are you?"

Bolt looked at the dog. "Is there a problem with that?"

"Uh...yes! Cats are vile, violent creatures...even if you wanted to free them, even if they somehow deserved it...they will just attack you as soon as you open their cages! And then they will come after us! Freeing the cats is not a good idea."

Bolt sighed. It seemed that, now he had learned the error of his ways, that it was time he taught those lessons to others. "Everyone!" he called, making sure he had everyone's full attention. "I don't know too much about this supposed feud between us dogs and cats, but all I see is pointless fighting. No one, dog, cat or otherwise, deserves to be subjected to such imprisonment as what I've been told the pound offers. I've made terrible mistakes in the past...this is my attempt to right some of them." The room was silent as he slowly turned to Mindy. "Mindy, I want you to get these dogs out of this place."

Mindy shook her head. "No, I want to talk to this cat as well. I want to - "

Bolt interrupted her. "Mindy...please. I promise I'll tell you what she says, but I want you to get these dogs away...this is something I have to deal with alone."

Bolt did not know exactly what caused Mindy to stop arguing, but was grateful for it. "Promise me you'll come back and tell me why she did it."

Bolt gave a weak, forced smile. "I promise. Now all of you, go! Mindy here will take you out of this place. From there, the path you take is entirely up to you!"

Mindy gave Bolt one last, friendly smile, before leaving the room, taking all the dogs with her. Only Bucky paused as he passed Bolt. "I don't know what it is you're up to with the cats, but I hope it's the right thing. The cats are held in the next room. Just head out this door and go left, it's the next door down."

"Thanks, Bucky," Bolt said as the dingo left with the others, leaving Bolt alone in the room, with nothing but his thoughts to accompany him as he let his powers recover slightly, and prepared to face what he knew would be a terrible truth.


	42. Chapter 41: Misjudgement

**Chapter 41**

**Misjudgement**

By the time Bolt had felt his powers had recuperated enough, and he left the dog holding room, he was no closer to uncovering the answer of why Mittens had betrayed him. Now he had no choice...he had to confront her, get the truth out of her. He was not after revenge, not after what his vision had shown him...but he just had to know why she had done it...why she had not learned from the incident at Bolivia. She had nearly been killed by her old superiors, and yet she still worked for them? It made no sense to him...he just need to know the truth.

Following Bucky's advice, Bolt turned left as he left the room full of cages, heading down a dark hallway, limping on his injured leg. It still pained him terribly, but as long as he limped, and did not put too much weight on it, the pain was bearable. As he left the room behind, he noticed that, just above the doorway, there was a sign, depicting a basic image of a dog. _Obviously for the humans to distinguish which room is for what,_ Bolt realised. And sure enough, when he came across the next door, there was a picture of a cat over that one. Knowing that he was sending himself down a path that was not going to be pleasant, no matter what happened, Bolt paused, taking a few deep breath as he gathered himself. He needed to stay calm, maintain control of himself and his emotions. He was here for answers, not revenge. Finally, when he thought he was ready, he nudged open the door, and entered the cat room.

The first thing Bolt noticed was the similarity this room had to the dog room. Once again, despite the lack of human presence, the lights had been left on in this room, although Bolt had no idea why. The three walls in front of him were lined with cages, as it had been in the dog room as well. The only real difference in this room were the cages themselves. They were a great deal smaller than the dog cages, and as such, they were stacked on top of each other, creating three levels of mesh cage doors. Although Bolt could see inside none of them, he knew Mittens was here.

Slowly, Bolt walked further into the room, looking around, trying to find any sign of Mittens. But all he found were the still, curled-up shadows of sleeping cats. "Mittens?" he called softly, trying to get were attention without waking any of the cats. "Mittens, where are you?"

"You should not be here."

Bolt instantly spun at the voice, although it was immediately obvious that it was not Mittens. This voice was male. Bolt moved towards the source of the voice, and, in one of the cages halfway down the room, he found it in the form of a large, old Persian cat. "What, what do you mean?"

"You have no business here, dog. Get out." the Persian spoke in a calm, wise drawl, but there was undertones of hatred in it, causing Bolt to sigh in exasperation. This was obviously a cat who was a big follower of the feud between dogs and cats.

"Spare me, cat," Bolt said evenly. "I have absolutely no interest in the feud between our species, and I never have. I'm here for a cat called Mittens, where is she?"

"What could you possibly want with a cat, hmm?" the Persian looked at Bolt suspiciously, obviously not buying Bolt dismissive attitude.

Bolt decided to change tactics, and find another way of convincing this Persian of his intentions. "Are you a stray?"

"What?"

"Do you have an owner, cat, or are you a stray?"

"What difference does it make?" The Persian's eyes narrowed, more suspicious than ever.

"Just answer the question!" Bolt was getting frustrated by this cat's defensiveness. He forced himself to calm down, taking a couple of deep breaths while the Persian seemed to contemplate answering.

Finally, he did. "I am a stray, and proud of it. It also means that, although I'm fairly old, that I can hurt you if you try and do anything to me, so I suggest you leave before you cause trouble you don't want."

Bolt did not respond directly, but rather gave the cat's cage door a quick Heat-Vision blast, snapping the lock off. Bolt then pulled the door open, before moving back and sitting down, the corner of his mouth lifting when he saw the Persian's bewildered expression. "I am not here to cause trouble, cat. As I said before, I do not care for the petty feud our kind shares. I have heard that all strays in this place are destined to be sent to the pound, and I will not allow that. I am getting you, and all the other strays, out of here."

The Persian stared at him in amazed disbelief for several more second, before slowly leaping out of his cage, looking up at Bolt, although he continued to keep his distance. "Why? Why are you, a dog, helping us cats?"

_Here we go again,_ Bolt thought dryly. "Because I am the only one who can. With these eyes, I'm the only one who can open these cages. If I don't do this, who will?"

The Persian thought about this. "Then what about this, Mittens, you're looking for? Why are you looking for her specifically?"

"Because I was with her when I was brought in here," Bolt replied, deciding it would be better not to delve into the details. "I was told that she was here...do you know where she is, which cage she's in?"

The Persian shook his head. "Most of us do not know each other, and I have not heard the name Mittens in my short time here. If you wake everyone up, I'm sure you'll get your answer soon enough."

Bolt nodded. "Right. Stand back and cover your ears, my bark's, well...potent, to say the least."

The Persian looked at Bolt quizzically, but did not respond, returning to his cage and covering his ears, while Bolt drew on his power once more. This time, however, he splayed his legs, and only used a small portion of his power. The bark did not need to be as loud as the last one, and hopefully the weaker bark would not hurl him off his feet like last time. Once Bolt was sure the Persian was ready, he took a break and gave a loud bark once more. Sure enough, this time the bark, whilst powerful, did not hurl him off his feet, although he was forced to stagger backwards a couple of paces to avoid falling over. The bark was powerful enough that the cages, like the dog room, rattled loudly, and very soon Bolt heard the loud, collective grumbling he had been expecting as all the cats in the room woke up, trying to figure out what had disturbed their sleep.

As they woke up, Bolt was suddenly struck by the thought that, in a room full of cats, confronting one of them as a dog about betrayal was probably not the best idea. Besides, he had wanted to confront Mittens privately, but had not thought about the fact that there obviously be many other cats sharing the room with her. Adapting to his oversight on the fly, he sat back down in the middle of room. "Alright, cats, listen up!"

All of the cats, upon hearing a dog trying to get their attention, immediately turned and listened, although more out of shock and curiosity than simple obedience. Once Bolt was ready, he continued. "I know most, if not all of you, will be thinking I'm here for nasty things, but as I've told this Persian beside me, I have no interest in the feud...I am here to help you! I have heard recently that strays found here will eventually be taken to the pound...and I will not allow that, even to cats, because no animal deserves such a cruel, harsh fate. If there are any strays, or just any cats who want to be free of their person, in this room, make yourselves known, and I will free you! to the others, the cats whose person is kind and caring, know that they will come back for you soon, and that I do not leave you here out of cruelty." As Bolt spoke, he started feeling extremely awkward. This sort of situation was not what he was used to, he had never spoken to this many creatures at once...it did not seem right.

And then Bolt got his first response. "How do we know you are telling the truth?"

Bolt looked down at the Persian, who nodded, stepping forward. "I can claim, with some certainty, that this dog is not joking or tricking us. The fact that he has not shown any sign of attacking me is proof enough. On top of that, I can guarantee it to all of you that he is our last chance of freedom. Either trust him...or face the pound, your choice!"

But then another voice called, from right down the far end of the room. "Bolt, is that you?"

Bolt whirled, both relieved and slightly angered at the voice. "Mittens? Is that you?"

"Who else could it be, you silly mutt?!" Mittens retorted. "What are you doing here?"

"I'll explain after I get everyone else out," Bolt said, fighting to hide his anger, before beginning to make his way around the room, blasting the locks on every cage that had a cat that wanted to be freed...which was an awful lot. "Does anyone in here know the way out?"

The Persian replied instantly. "Just get them all out of their cages, dog. I'll lead them out."

Satisfied by the answer, Bolt continued on his task, although he passed Mittens by when he found her, saying he'd come back for her when everyone was done. Finally, Bolt had released the last cat, close to twenty in the end. With his powers once again strained to the limit, Bolt sat down and rested for a moment.

The Persian came up to him. "You going to free your friend and come with us, dog?"

Bolt shook his head. "You go, I need to talk with Mittens before I follow. We'll find our own way out."

The Persian stared at Bolt for a few more second, as if he was waiting for Bolt to change his mind, before shrugging and heading off, calling for all the cats to follow. But as he made to leave, he turned back to Bolt one last time. "You've done a great thing, dog. There are not many who would have done the same in your position."

"A few days ago I would not have considered doing it myself," Bolt replied. He did not want thanks or praise...he did not deserve them. "I have done terrible things, this is just my way of trying to repay for some of them. Just take the cats and go."

The Persian obeyed, but not without the last word. "Thank you." With those two words, he was gone.

Bolt continued to simply sit there, slightly put off by the Persian's words. He had heard those two words many times before, but never had he heard them spoken with such sincerity and conviction. The cat was truly grateful for what Bolt had done, and had not tried to hide it. Shaking off the strange feeling inside him, he finally stood back up and made his way to Mittens' cage, snapping the lock without a word. He did not trust himself to say anything right now, particularly out in front of the remaining cats. He wanted to confront her in private.

"Okay, then, hero," Mittens said, with slight sarcasm. "Let's get out of here!" She then slinked off, Bolt following silently, trying to think of a way to approach this. He was in a tough position, walking with the very cat who had, on three separate occasions now, tried to kill him. It took all of his self-control not to lash out at her there and then.

But he waited, following Mittens as she left the room and walked off down the hallway, Bolt following silently, holding back his seething rage with all the determination he could muster up. But as they made their way around several corners, and Bolt felt they were out of earshot of everyone else, he finally spoke. "Mittens, in here," he said evenly, indicating a small room they were passing. "I want to talk to you."

Mittens gave Bolt a curious look, but followed Bolt into the room, which turned out to be an examination room of sorts, with a large, metal bench in the middle of it, the walls lined with shelves. Once Mittens was in, Bolt turned around and nudged to door so that it was only open a crack, before he sat down in front of the door, blocking it. He was going to find the truth, one way or another.

Mittens sat down in front of him, her expression completely innocent, even now, which angered Bolt even more. "What is it, Bolt? What's going on?"

Bolt struggled to contain his anger, taking several deep breaths to calm himself before answering, with a deliberate slowness that exposed the anger within him. "Why did you do it, Mittens?"

Mittens put on a puzzled expression. "Do what?"

Bolt anger flared once again, but he forced it down. "Don't try to hide it, Mittens. It's over, you're done, exposed. I know you're still working for Calico, so don't hide it any longer."

Mittens let out a nervous laugh. "Bolt, what are you on about? What do you mean...?"

But Mittens never finished her sentence, for at that point Bolt's anger broke free. With an enraged roar, he drove across the room, paws outstretched, and crashed into Mittens before she even knew what was happening. Bolt then used his power, pinning Mittens against the nearest wall with his forepaws, his face contorted with rage, watching with mild satisfaction as he saw Mittens' eyes widen with fear. "Enough lies!" he boomed. "You're the only one who could have done it! You lead those two men to me, you gave me up, and nearly had me killed! I thought you had changed Mittens, I really thought you had seen the truth...but the whole time, you were working for Calico!"

"Bolt, I - "

"I trusted you, Mittens. I'd even actually begun to like you. But now...now you have betrayed me."

"Bolt, please, listen to - "

"You were even willing to kill an innocent dog to finish me off! I can't believe I was so stupid as to think that any of Calico's servants would ever defect from him and try and stop him!"

"Will you just...wait, what?" Mittens looked at Bolt, wide-eyed.

Bolt knew exactly what she was questioning. "That's right Mittens, the little dog, Zippy. He was killed in that ambush. Are you happy, huh? You failed your mission, and got someone else killed instead!" Bolt's rage was uncontrollable now, he could feel it burning through him like an unstoppable fire. But finally, the rage began to subside, and he dropped Mittens, letting her collapse to the floor, clutching at the place where his paws had pushed against her, his strength obviously having caused her great discomfort. "You may have fooled me this time, but I will not make that mistake twice!"

Mittens looked up, and saw the burning, unrelenting fury in his body, and by her shaking, Bolt knew she feared the worst. "Bolt, please, you don't understand."

"Oh, really?" Bolt, despite his rage, could not help but become curious. _What is she going to say to try and prove her innocence?_

"I did not lead those two men here. But I do know that they were not there for you." Mittens' voice was desperate, almost pleading.

"Then who were they there for, then?"

"Another agent of Calico's, one who had disappeared after he failed Calico too many times. Some man called Bruce, I believe you had met him before."

Bolt paused. _How did she know that?_ Bolt remembered, with pangs of both longing and guilt, that incident in the alleyway in Highton, where Penny had confronted Bruce, and learned of the Bolivia facility for the first time. It was also, Bolt remembered with increasing guilt, the first time where Penny had scolded him for his lack of remorse. He knew he should have listened to her then, but it was too late now. All he wanted was this last truth.

"Those men were waiting in that alleyway to kill him, but I think they recognised you and decided you were a better target, since Calico really wants you dead. After you fainted, Bruce himself arrived. Bolt...Bruce saved you, he's the one who took us all to the vet. After you fainted, he came up and, seeing you were wounded, immediately called for help." Mittens' voice once more adopted a pleading tone. "Please, Bolt. I did not send those men after you! You have to believe me...I want to help you. Why would I still work for Calico after he, and his sick cat, nearly had me killed?!"

Bolt stared at her, several images flashing through his mind. He remembered seeing Mittens, staring at the wreckage of the Bolivia facility. There had been no lies in her eyes or voice at that time...she had honestly felt betrayed by Calico, and had truly had enough of his ways. But the image the slammed the message home for him was the last thing he remembered seeing before fainting, just after he had been shot. He had seen, in his blurred, unfocused vision, the outline of a man standing over him. Bolt realised that it must have been Bruce, because if it was another of Calico's men, he would be dead now. With that thought, Bolt realised that, even if it was not Bruce, that in that time when he had lost consciousness, Mittens had, at that moment, had the perfect opportunity to strike out at him, to finish the job...and yet she had not taken it.

She was telling the truth!

Bolt looked at Mittens, then looked down at his paws, guilt once again rising through him as he realised that he had hurt for, for absolutely no reason! She had been completely innocent...he was the one now guilty of betraying his friends! He realised then, with a sickening sense of self-loathing, that he could not control his emotions...and while he had no control, he would not be able to stop himself from killing more men, all for a revenge he did not want...and a person he no longer deserved.

"Bolt...?" Mittens was looking at him, obviously seeing the conflict of emotions, worried for him.

But as she approached, Bolt recoiled away. "Don't! Just stay back! I'm so sorry, Mittens. I shouldn't have hurt you."

"Hey, Bolt, it's - "

But Bolt wasn't listening. He was done trying to make up for his mistakes. He was only making things worse, and he had to end it, himself, before more terrible things happened because of him. "I...I can't do this any more, Mittens. I can't control myself..." he looked at her, before turning to leave. "I'm sorry, Mittens, but this is the way it has to be." And with that, he bolted from the room, making his way towards the exit to the vet, which was close by. He had to run from the Mittens and Mindy, had to distance himself from the two friends he had left while he decided what to do next. But as he ran, Bolt realised, with a sickening sense of failure, that he could not go back to Penny. Not only did he no longer deserve to be with her any more...but there was no longer any point in stopping Calico. Because he now knew, with his powers, and his uncontrollable emotions, that he would simply replace Calico, and his grand scheme for destroying the world, and Bolt would not allow himself to do that, even if it was the last thing he ever did.


	43. Chapter 42: Fleeing the Past

**Chapter 42**

**Fleeing the Past**

"Whoa, buddy, slow down!"

Bolt pulled himself to a halt, only just stopping himself from crashing straight into Bucky, the dingo who had helped him free all the dogs, and had led them away with Mindy. He moment he looked into Bolt's sad, anguished face, he knew something was up. "Bolt, what's wrong? What happened?"

Bolt slowly side-stepped around Bucky, trying to get past him without getting too close. "I'm a monster, Bucky. I've done terrible things, and even now I tried to hurt a friend who had done nothing wrong. I can't control myself any more...I can't control my powers. I can't...I have to stop it, before it takes me over."

Bolt had successfully made it around Bucky, but before he could run, the dingo leapt forward, gently grabbing his shoulder, stopping him for a brief moment. "I don't know what has caused you to believe that, Bolt...but I can see that you are no monster. Whatever terrible things you think you've done, mate, you did a wonderful thing tonight. You have saved many dogs...and cats, from a truly terrible existence. No-one here will forget that, and trust me, world will spread of the German Shepherd who saved countless strays from the pound. Whatever bad things you have done, Bolt, tonight's actions will have forgiven all of them. Thank you...superdog." With that final message, Bucky left, quickly disappearing into the night-time darkness, leaving Bolt standing there, stunned.

But after a few seconds, Bolt recovered. "You wouldn't say that if you knew what I had done, Bucky," he whispered to the darkness after the dingo. He then realised that Mindy must be somewhere nearby, and that Mittens would not be too far behind him, so he took off once again, running out into the darkness. He did not see which way he went, and neither did he care...he just ran, trying to run away from everything that meant something to him. Mittens, Mindy...even Penny. He could never see any of them ever again. He could not risk losing his temper and harming any of them, not after all the destruction he had caused, and all the lives he had taken, all for a cause he could no longer fight. All his actions had been for nothing...he had just lead himself closer and closer to his violent darkness, and his own awful failure. Now he had nothing left, except one, final purpose; to stop himself before he became completely uncontrollable...completely evil.

Bolt finally stopped his running, looking around himself. He found himself able to see in faint pre-dawn light, the eastern horizon glowing with a pale light. He was standing on what he knew were the white beaches of the Pentland beach town, just a few strides from the rolling waves. But today the waves did not have the usual mesmerising, calming effect on Bolt, and he instead saw the water in the whole new light...as a way out, a way to end this madness before he forgot who he was?

But could he do it? Bolt's fear of death rose in as he seriously contemplated whether he could end his own life for the good of the world? The pain of death, he knew, particularly by drowning, would be excruciating, and he feared what he would find on the other side of the final void, from which he knew there not possibly be any hope of return. But then, why would he want to come back? What was left in this world for him? He was a violent, murderous dog who had super-powers that were sipping from his control. He had his person, and two friends, a dog and a cat that he knew he loved almost as much as Penny...but he wanted to protect them, and that meant that he could never see any of them, ever again. No, Bolt stared at the waves with a new certainty, his fear lost to it. For the good of everything he cared about, he had to do this. This one, last, ultimate good deed, to rid the world of the monster he had become...before it was too late.

"Why?" he whispered, sending the question to no-one, and everyone, at the same time. "Why did I become this? What did I do? I can't do this...I CAN'T GO ON!!!"

Bolt, his last reserves of resolve and strength leaving him, collapsed onto his belly in the sand, whimpering with a complete sense of loss and grief. He had lost everything, he had to lose everything. There was no saving him any more "I'm so sorry, Penny," he finally whispered, silently hoping that she could somehow hear him, hear his one, final message to her. "I'm sorry for everything. I tried to save you, I tried to help you...but now I've destroyed myself, and there is only one way to end this. I...I failed you Penny. Please..." Bolt looked helplessly at the constantly brightening sky, the sun mere moments from rising. "...please, Penny...please forgive me."

With that, Bolt's grief, agony, and helplessness all became to much to contain, and he released a long slow howl of despair, trying in vain to release the last of his pent-up emotions, to show the world that he was sorry for everything he had done...and now it was time to make it right again.

Bolt howled until he ran out of breath, before simply sitting there, regaining his breath, fighting to push away the last of his fear as he prepared to do it...to end his existence, and rid the world of what he had become. And then, taking one last deep breath, just as the sun began to creep above the horizon, Bolt finally gathered the last of his strength...and strode forward, making his way to the ocean. It was time...he had failed. Someone else would have to stop Calico now...and if no-one could, well the world would be no worse off than it would if he was allowed to run free for much longer anyway. Either way, destruction and misery was assured. Bolt finally reached the edge, the point on the sand where the waves lost all their momentum, the ocean forced to turn back. He hesitated here, his mind trying to throw up some last-minute efforts to stop him, to force him to spare his own life. But Bolt shoved them roughly aside, and strode forward, into the waves, feeling the water swirl around his ankles as he made his way into the...

"Hey, Wags! What're you doing out here?"

Mittens' voice was light, carefree, and that was what made Bolt stop more than anything. It was like she did not remember any of Bolt's violent outburst just minutes ago, or simply did not care. He sighed in mild frustration. Now he was going to have to convince them to let him go, and that would give his mind a fresh opportunity to try and force him to turn around, to spare his miserable, undeserved life.

Slowly, Bolt turned around, his ankles continuing to be struck by the waves. He was surprised to note that not only was Mittens sitting on the sand behind him, but so was Mindy, the two of them were silhouetted by the rising sun, which was beginning to reach higher into the sky, turning the world a shadowy yellow in the dawn light.

"Come on, Bolt, tell us, what's troubling you?" Mindy's voice was full of concern, which made Bolt wince. It was that concern that was the exact reason he had to leave them behind...and they now had to know that, too.

"I..." Bolt struggled to find a way of explaining it to them. "You...neither of you...you have no idea what I've become. From the moment I got these powers, I have fought to protect the one thing I ever loved...Penny. But while I fought for her, I lost control of myself. I killed, and I killed...even when I had the chance to spare someone's life, I still killed. Even now, when I know what I have done wrong, I still cannot control myself...I hurt you, Mittens, just now, in my fury. I'm slipping...I'm losing control of myself, and I can't stop it. There's no way out for me..." Bolt paused, looking out across the ocean once more. "...except one." His voice had a finality that both the creatures before him recognised.

"Bolt, please," Mindy's voice was pleading, and it was shaking. "Please think about what you intend to do. You have me, you have Mittens...you have a person who loves you! You would seriously abandon them for your guilt?"

"I would never see them again to protect them, to protect you!" Bolt yelled, his despair coursing through him uncontrollably. He had to make them see, make them understand why he was doing this...why he had to do this. "I can't control myself! I can't control my powers! I am turning into a uncontrollable monster, and this is the only way to stop it! I have to protect what little I have left, what little I still love; you, both of you...and Penny. How can I stay with you, or rescue Penny, knowing I'll just be replacing Calico with myself, which would be worse than what he's planning. I am not abandoning you...I am trying to protect you, so please, just let me do this in peace."

Bolt made to take a step forward, by Mindy cut him off, shoving her way in front of him. "Bolt, please, don't do this. You're not evil, you're not a monster...you're a good dog, you just need time to think things over, to come to terms with who you are."

"I may not be a monster yet, Mindy," Bolt said. "But if I stay, if I continue on, I soon will be. I can't keep control of myself. I can't stop my anger from hurting those I care about...I don't want you to be next." Why couldn't she just see, why couldn't they understand?

"You anger, your rage, your desire for revenge...Bolt, that is what makes you who you are. Those emotions are what allows you to feel compassion, calm, and mercy. If you take away those emotions, you're just an empty shell; a pile of fur and bones that can think, nothing more." Even as she spoke, Bolt could see her eyes wavering, clearly pleading and upset. It hurt Bolt to see her in this state, but he had tried to avoid, tried to go quietly. "Bolt, do you know why I wanted you to come with me that day, to talk with me, to be my friend?"

Bolt did not answer. Mindy had already said it was because she thought he was another German Shepherd, and that she wanted someone who could understand her life as a stray.

"It was because, when I first met you. I saw a dog who harboured dark thoughts. You were obviously seeking revenge for some terrible event in your life, and would stop at nothing until you had that revenge."

Bolt stared at her. She was making no sense. Why would possibly want to befriend something so dark, so evil?

"But it was more than that. Bolt, underneath your powers, and your desire for revenge, and your anger, I saw something else...I saw hope, and kindness, and all the makings of a dog that I could only describe as 'noble'. But I could tell that you did not see it...I wanted to help you, to show you that good side in you." Her eyes adopted a pleading look. "Please, Bolt. Please just think about that. You are a good dog...you just haven't seen it yet."

Bolt hesitated. Mindy had seen good in him, a good side that even he had missed? He did not believe it...he was not good. "How can I be a good dog, when I'm losing control like, when I have killed so many?"

"You're losing control because you're letting your guilt and sorrow control you," Mindy said. "Just accept yourself for who you _are_, not who you _were_. Then, I'm sure, you'll become the good dog I've seen." In a last, desperate ploy to stop Bolt, she smiled at him.

But Bolt was only further saddened by the smile. It was a smile he could not return. Who he is and who he was were irrelevant, the things he had done were simply unforgivable. Even if he could regain control of himself, his guilt would haunt him for the rest of his life...and he could never live with that. His mind once again set, he pushed past Mindy, moving deeper into the ocean.

"Bolt, please..."

"I cannot be forgiven for the things I've done, Mindy. All the people I've killed. No, Mindy, you must understand...I am beyond saving, and this...this is the best way of making I cause no more harm to the world." And Bolt continued deeper into the water, leaving Mindy staring after him, in complete shock.

"Bolt?!"

Bolt stopped at Mittens' voice, although he was seriously tempted to just ignore her. Reluctantly he turned back and faced her, both her and Mindy were now clearly visible, the sun now clear above the horizon.

"You're wrong, Bolt," Mittens said softly, carefully. "You're not beyond saving. A wise dog once told me something I'll never forget, something that gave me hope: 'Yes, you may have done some things wrong...but this, right now, is your chance to make it right!' Bolt, I never told you one of my deepest secrets...I have killed, too. Both humans and dogs...and when Calico and Hairballs betrayed me, and I realised I had been working for the wrong side, I felt like you do now...I felt like I was beyond saving. The dogs and people I had killed had been innocent creatures, with no knowledge of Calico's plan. If you think you're beyond saving, Bolt, you're not. You saved me...and if you could save me, you can save yourself. Just, please, remember those words you told me, and know that no matter what you have done in the past...that you know better now, and because of that, your past can be forgiven. You cannot change the past...but you can be forgiven."

Bolt simply stared at Mittens in amazement, the series of revelations almost too much for his broken mind. When he finally did comprehend it, his mind flew backwards, to the moment where Mittens had realised that Calico had betrayed her. He remembered the words he had spoken to help her realise that Calico needed to be stopped, that any actions of the past can be forgiven...if you work to make up for them.

But was it true? Could Bolt truly be forgiven for what he had done? He had killed so many, and hurt so many others...was there any possibility of forgiveness? If he continued on, saved both Penny and her father, and did it whilst killing as few as he possibly could, killing only when he had absolutely no other choice, could he be forgiven? He knew that Penny and her father would forgive him instantly, and that Mindy and Mittens already thought he could be forgiven...but could he forgive himself? Could he ever accept what he had done?

While he struggled to come to terms with this new ideal, Bolt looked down at his mark. Through the filth covering his fur, he could see it, almost fully revitalised. He looked further back, to his injured leg. The bandage had fallen off at some point during his escape from the vet, and he could see that, despite the fact that it was less than a day since he had been shot, that it was already healing well, it no longer pained him. But that was not what held Bolt's attention. Around the wound, a small region of skin was visible, where the humans had shaved his fur to better access the wound. But all around the wound, where the bandage had been, his fur had been cleaned, and was it's usual, former white, shining brilliantly in the early morning sun.

Then Bolt looked down at his paws, which were submerged in the ocean. The water had washed the dirt off his paws, revealing the lower portion of his legs in his old, white fur.

Looking down, seeing the old side of himself he had long forgotten, something snapped in Bolt's mind, locking everything into place in crystal clarity. Shaking off any doubt he had, he, at long last, found who he was, and what he had to do. And with that, he strode calmly out into the ocean completely, swimming out before fully submerging himself in the water, his decision at last made, his fate decided.


	44. Chapter 43: The White Shepherd

**Chapter 43**

**The White Shepherd**

Mindy watched Bolt struggle with himself in the shallows of the water, obviously fighting an internal battle for his sanity...and his life.

She knew she was powerless to help now, and all she could do was watch and wait, and hope fervently that Bolt made the right choice, and came back. She knew that somewhere, deep within Bolt, there was a good, noble dog...a hero...waiting to be awakened. She had tried to show him that, with Mittens' help, but now it was down to Bolt to see it for himself.

She slowly walked back up the beach and sat down next to Mittens, looking at the cat, who she remembered as the cat that had tried to kill her and Bolt the last time they were all together. It was an awkward moment, and Mindy struggled to figure out what to say.

"Listen, Mindy," in the end it was Mittens who spoke first. "About that time, all those days ago...I - "

"I know. I've heard a little about what you and Bolt have been through since then. I know you were deceived, and I know you have learned that what you did was wrong, and for me, that is good enough. I forgive you...Mittens. And please, most of my friends call me Mud."

Mittens looked up at Mindy, a strange expression on her face. "You and Bolt seem pretty close, and yet he calls you Mindy."

"He's the only one, and I don't know why he does it. But he refuses to call me Mud, and I'm happy to let him. All I care about right now is that, having forgiven you, that he can forgive himself." Her face fell as she looked at Mittens worriedly. "Can he forgive himself?"

"I don't know," Mittens replied softly, with complete honesty. "He seems like a strong dog, but I can tell that he's shaken up badly by what he's seen in himself. It took me a while to forgive myself for what I had done, and that was only because I promised myself that I would help Bolt, as a way of repaying him. Bolt has no such promise he can make to help ease his agony, which means he truly has to believe that he can forgive himself."

But as Mindy turned back to look at Bolt, she saw that his battle had ended. He head was raised in determination, and although Mindy could not see it from behind Bolt, she knew that face must be completely set. Whatever decision he had come to, he was determined to see it through, and Mindy knew that nothing would stop him from carrying out his next act.

Which was why Mindy was shocked to see him move, walking slowly out into the ocean. "No..." She realised, with a shocking sense of dread, that Bolt had lost his fight with himself. He had given in to his grief, and his belief that he was a monster. He was going to kill himself to end it, truly believing he would save everyone else by doing so.

"Bolt!" Mindy made to move forward, intending on stopping him, but Mittens held out a paw, stopping her. When she looked at the cat, she fond that she, too was obviously shocked by the decision, but she was also shaking her head. "No, leave him. He's made his decision...there's nothing more we can do. If he truly believes he's beyond saving, then nothing we say can ever change that."

But that did not stop Mindy from wanting to go out there and rescue him. She had seen to goodness, seen the side of him that said he could be saved, and she wanted him to see it, too. But, knowing Bolt was not going to be convinced, all she could was sit with Mittens and watch as Bolt swam a short distance out to sea, before finally disappearing under the waves...without returning.

"No! Bolt!" Again, Mindy had that desperate urge to race across the sand and into the water, and pull him out. But, in her heart, she knew Mittens was right. It was Bolt's decision, and he truly believed that death was the best answer, then she could not change it for him. All constantly saving him from his own suicide attempts would do was make him more miserable...perhaps to the point where he would lose control and hurt her or Mittens. And although Mindy was willing to endure pain to keep Bolt alive, she knew that Bolt's already fractured mind would never cope with such a violent betrayal of the friendships they had formed, and he would either go completely insane, or just kill himself there and then by any means necessary. At least this way he could make that final peace with himself.

But even with that thought, the fact that Bolt was currently in the process of drowning himself was tearing Mindy apart. She had not known Bolt for very long, and only seen him twice, but she had liked him from the start. He may have been another Shepherd, but that had not been the reason. She could just see that he was a good dog, who hid under a tough, violent facade, and distanced himself from everyone else because of his unusual nature. It was obvious that he had been, in some form, shunned by the other dogs in the area where he lived because of his unusually high dedication to his person, Penny. Mindy had seen this, and had been hoping that, given the chance, she could teach Bolt more about the way to be a regular dog; at least how to socialise with other dogs, so he would not be so lonely.

But now...now he had given up his fight. He had seen death as the best option, and Mindy, while she hated it, could do nothing. She looked out to sea, hoping to see him come back up from under the surface. But the ocean remain still except for the waves breaking against the shore, no sign of the dog that had just so recently gone under.

"Bolt..." Grief hit Mindy like a brick wall as she looked out to sea, but she held it back, her head drooping. "So long, Bolt. You may have thought you were a monster...but you were not. The fact that you were willing to sacrifice yourself for others was the ultimate act of heroism. I'm sure that, wherever you end up, you will be forgiven for your past actions. I may not have known you for very long, but you were a good friend, even if you did not know it. I'll miss you, Bolt."

Finally, Mindy was not able to take it any more. She turned around, walking back up the beach. She had to get away, get away from this town. First, her person and his family had been killed here, then Zippy...and now Bolt. There was too much death here, she had to get away from Pentland Beach. She had no idea where she was going to go, and she did not really care. All she knew was that this place now had too many terrible memories for her to stay any longer. Maybe, once Mittens recovered from her own grief and followed, she would go with her, wherever she went. For a brief moment, she considered the thought of taking up Bolt's fight against Calico, finishing what he had started. But the thought was dispelled from her mind in an instant. The guilt of her own cowardice was still haunting her. It was not so much that she felt guilty about leaving her family...not any more, not after seeing the things Bolt and Mittens were guilty about. She felt guilty because she still, after a year, she still had that same cowardice. She had tried to make herself braver, tried to find her courage. But she could not do it...she was still the coward, so much so that she was going to run from all the death that had occurred all around her.

But as she made to leave Mittens behind, she heard the cat gasp. "Mud! Mud, come back!"

Instantly Mindy came back, running to Mittens' side. "What? What is it?"

But Mittens' was sitting stock-still, so shocked by something that she was speechless. Mindy noticed that she was looking out to sea...looking out at the place where Bolt was wandered out to sea. Mindy looked out, following the cat's gaze. When she saw what the cat was looking at, her jaw dropped as she beheld one of the most dazzling, stunning sights she had ever witnessed.

* * * * *

When Bolt emerged from the ocean once more and walked up out of the waves, he was a completely different dog.

Every aspect of him had been totally transformed, as the dog walked back up onto the beach with a slow, proud gait that made him appear as if he was moving in a surreal kind of slow-motion. His whole body language screamed of a creature that had just fought off a considerably powerful inner demon, and now had full control of himself, his abilities...and his conscience. His face was hard and set, full of a new determination that anyone who looked at it realised would never die...at least not until the dog's mission was complete. His mouth was a single, hard, frowning line. But the frown was not sinister, more one of determination and concentration. This was accentuated by his eyes, which held the same determination, but had lost the ruthlessness of his past. A new sense of mercy and kindness was held in them in it's place. This new Bolt was more determined than ever, but had also lost much of the ruthlessness that had nearly destroyed him.

Enhancing the new body language was his overall physical appearance. That, too, had been transformed dramatically. The ocean had washed away every last bit of dirt that had so completely coated his fur over the last week. He no longer looked like the German Shepherd everyone believed he was...his fur had once more returned to its brilliant, pure white. As he strode proudly back up the beach, the morning light struck his pure, clean, sodden fur, not only enhancing the new purity of the white, but making it literally shine and glitter like a coat of diamonds. To anyone who looked, the meaning was obvious; Bolt dark past, his previous mistakes, had been washed away...a new Bolt had emerged from that ocean.

The only break in the dazzling brilliance of white fur was his mark...but that was no less spectacular. The deep, black lightning bolt covering his left flank blazed with a life and energy never before seen, seemingly glowing with its own, inner light. Bolt's powers, along with his hope and drive, were back, more powerful than ever, and they were not going to be stopped any time soon.

Bolt the Superdog was gone, no more...Bolt the Hero, the White Shepherd, had arrived...and he was bigger than anything his old self could have ever hoped to be. Gone were the troubles and the hauntings of the past. He would remember them, sure...but they would no longer trouble him, eat away at him. He had at last learned from his mistakes, and would never make them again. At long last, Bolt had embraced who he was always meant to be, ever since that mark had appeared on his side. He had finally accepted that he was to be Earth's hidden, canine hero...to be there whenever and wherever Calico hatched one of his evil schemes, to be there to stop him...because he was the only one who could, the only one with the powers necessary. And he would fight...he would fight to stop Calico...and to save Penny...until the very end, whatever that end may be now. He would do what was right, and he would not let Calico have the world, not while he still had some fight left in him.

And as he finally came to a stop in front of Mittens and Mindy, neither of the two animals could do anything other than stare at him in complete, slack-jawed wonder as he raised his head, looking at them, the entire range of emotions he had ever felt playing across his face at the same time. He was a dog who had endured far more than he was ever supposed to, and as he spoke two words, his voice rang with such conviction and determination, that neither of the two friends in front of him doubted, even for an instant, that he was ready to endure more suffering for what he believed in.

"I'm ready!"


	45. Chapter 44: Clashing

**Chapter 44**

**Clashing**

Bolt shifted and rolled around, trying unsuccessfully to get to sleep. He was simply too full of energy to even think of resting.

He was close...so very close. Everything he had been aiming for, his central goal of stopping Calico, was now within his grasp, he could feel it. And with that, he knew Penny was close, too. Bolt sighed, the nagging feeling of loneliness at the absence of his person still troubling him, even with Mittens and Mindy keeping him company. Penny may have only been captured a few days ago, but to Bolt, those few days felt like an eternity. Recent events had been so frantic that he could no longer generate a happy memory of the past he shared with Penny, before the Father had burdened him with these powers, that had caused so much grief, and hope. The only lingering memories he had were of the adventure he had shared with her which, while in itself was happy, it was also fraught with danger. Bolt just wished, in that moment, as he lay under the stars, that he could see her as she was, before this whole mess had started. But those memories were gone...and they weren't coming back. And if he did manage the impossible and rescued Penny, he knew that she would be different, that she would have changed, just as he had.

_No!_ Bolt shook his head violently, forcing himself to throw away the train of thought. He knew that this was exactly the way of thinking that had nearly led him to suicide yesterday morning. He had to stay focused, and remind himself of the optimistic thoughts, the hopes that were the reason he was still trying...still fighting. Changed or not, Penny was still his person, and she still loved him. That fact, and that fact alone, should be enough for him...and yet it wasn't. But why? Why was the mission to rescue Penny suddenly much, much less important in his eyes? Bolt simply could not make sense of it, no matter which way he looked at it. Something else had found importance in Bolt's mind, and he just...

"Bolt...you okay?"

Mindy's voice jolted Bolt out of the thoughts. Starting slightly at the unexpected voice, he nevertheless did not turn around. "It's late," he said, trying to avoid the subject. "You should be asleep."

"So should you," Mindy quipped back. "What's going on, huh? I know you've been through a lot lately, but tonight you seem particularly troubled...especially since you seemed like you'd recovered yesterday. I don't want to see you depressed again, Bolt...I just want to help."

Bolt sighed, the German Shepherd had a point. "I know...I know you want to help, and I appreciate the concern. But...this is something I have to face, that I have to deal with alone." He turned back to Mindy. "We're close to Calico's hiding place, if Mittens is right. And that..." Bolt paused. He did not want to say this, but at the same time, knew he had to.

"Yes?" Mindy prompted.

"And that means...that means we're not to see each other again. I have to face Calico...end his evil plan once and for all, but you can't."

"What?" Mindy was shocked, which left Bolt surprised. What exactly did she expect? "But..." she struggled for a moment with an argument. "...Bolt, I just got you back."

"Mindy, where I'm going is very dangerous. If you came along, you could very easily be killed...or worse. I can't let that happen. Tomorrow, when we head off, I want you to leave. Mittens says the city, Los Angeles, is meant to be a great place for strays like you. So tomorrow...please...just go, live the life I've offered, the one you have always deserved. This is a task I must take on myself. Penny is my person, and my responsibility."

"But, what about Mittens?" Mindy asked, trying to argue against what Bolt was suggesting. It was obvious that she had grown close to Bolt, which surprised the White Shepherd a little.

"The only reason she's coming with me is so she can guide me all the way to the facility. Once she has, she's going to head to the city with you. Like I said, I've caused more than enough suffering...I will not see either of you two become the next ones to do so." As he spoke, Bolt looked over at the sleeping, black form of Mittens, her steady, even breathing showing she was in a deep, peaceful sleep.

"Bolt, please, I...I thought you were going to drown yourself in the ocean yesterday morning. Bolt, I...I don't want to lose you again, not now." Mindy was obviously growing upset, and Bolt could see the looming sense of loneliness growing on her face...a loneliness he was by now all-too-familiar with. "With Zippy dead...you're the only friend I have left."

Bolt fought to hide the pain of what he was being forced to say. He knew that Mindy regarded him as a friend...he thought of her the same way. But that was exactly the reason he had to do this...he had to protect her. "Mindy, please listen. The only reason I did not drown myself this morning is because I vowed to change my ways...to protect life rather than destroy it. To show mercy rather than cruelty. This is what I am doing now. I am going to fight a man who is mad, and who will do anything, including kill, to get his way. Where I am going, I could easily be killed...and I could never live with myself if you were to die because you followed me into such danger."

"But..."

"Mindy, please don't argue. You're not a fighter...you said yourself how often your courage fails you." Bolt's hated himself for saying that. It was a sensitive spot in Mindy's mind, and Bolt's reminder obviously pained her, but he had no choice...he had to make her stay away. "Your place is as far away from me...and the danger I attract, as possible. I don't want to leave you alone, either...but if it keeps you alive, then I'll be happy with that. You don't belong in the battle that's going to occur in that facility."

"Bolt..." Mindy's head dropped as she fought for a new argument. "...Do you really have to fight? Do you really have to face Calico?"

Bolt found himself sighing again. "You know I have to, Mindy. Penny means everything to me...I can't just leave her behind. I have to save her."

"But what if you can't?" Mindy's voice was desperate now, using anything her mind came up with to try and convince Bolt not to go ahead with his plan.

But he shook his head. "Then at least I will die knowing I did everything to save my person...and knowing that the only two animals who ever cared about are safe, away from Calico's reach." He could see that Mindy was growing distressed about his do-or-die attitude, especially since he had, until yesterday morning, been in a violent state of suicidal depression.

But Bolt knew that there was no turning back. This was who he was always meant to be. He may have, in part at least, forgiven himself for the mistakes he made during his adventure with Penny...but he had vowed to make every effort to make up for those mistakes. He was not the hero everyone said he was...but now, he was certainly going to try to live up to that ideal. He was going to infiltrate Calico's facility, find Penny and Richard, rescue the both of them, and, if he could, find some way of destroying equipment vital to Calico's plans and research. He knew now, that he was the only one who could stop Calico now...it was up to him to stop the end of the world. But that also meant that Bolt would be required to fight, to the death, for the world's freedom. And if his sacrifice stopped Calico's insane plans, then that would be enough for him.

"Mindy, please listen." Bolt took the German Shepherd's chin in his paw, forcing her to look up at him. "I know you and Mittens keep saying that I'm a hero...but I'm no such thing. Heroes are creatures of ultimate honour, ideals, and selflessness. I have been everything but since Penny brought me on this journey. But now...now I have my chance to live up to what everyone expects me to be, and if that means I have to die stopping Calico...then I have to die."

"Bolt, please just think!" Mindy cried desperately. "You came so close to killing yourself that morning...now you're just going to send yourself to your death again?! It's not right!"

Bolt looked away from her, staring back out at the stars. "Very little is, these days." He meant it, too. So little in his life seemed right or fair these days. All he had wanted before was to live a happy, peaceful life with Penny. But now...

He turned back to Mindy. It was time to show her that her part in his quest was over...that it was time for her to leave. "Mindy, you have been a great friend. You tried to befriend me when no-one else would...and today, you have taught me how to be a real dog for Penny, not just a bodyguard." It was true, too. Over the course of the past two days, since he had emerged from the ocean, the trio had travelled across the country, using the fastest means they could find to travel as far as possible. During those days, Bolt and Mindy had stayed together, Mindy using the opportunity to teach Bolt some of the finer points of how to behave like a proper dog. As Mindy taught him these things, Bolt had come to realise that he had grown too close to Penny. He had tried so hard to protect her, to keep her happy, that he had missed out on his own happiness. Being with Penny was satisfying in its own way, but now that Bolt saw what he had missed out on, he just wished, now, that he could turn back the clock, do certain things over again, change the way he had lived.

_But the past is the past,_ he thought firmly, forcing himself to discard the hazy, indistinct memories. Nothing could change the past...but if he changed his own ways, maybe the future held some promise. He turned back to Mindy, smiling at her. "You've shown me things I would never have seen on my own, and you've helped me where I thought I was beyond saving. But you've done enough, Mindy...more than enough. I have to do this, I have to confront Calico. And you know, as well as I do, that it is somewhere that you cannot follow me into. This is something I have to do alone. Mindy..." he paused. He realised that, even now, when he was certain that this was the right thing to do, that he still did not want to do it. Mindy's friendship was something he valued very highly...and now he had to throw it away...to protect her. "Mindy, I...you're time with me is over. It's time for you to return to your old life, before I came in and caused you so much pain. Please, if you want to stay tonight, that's your choice, but tomorrow, you must leave."

"Bolt, why...why are you doing this?" Mindy's voice was shaking. She obviously felt betrayed, and that hurt Bolt even more. He was being forced to strain a friendship he had only recently gained.

"Because I have to protect you. If I face Calico, and let you follow me, I'll have just gone back to who I was before I met you, a dog with powers, willing to do anything, even sacrifice friends, to complete the mission. I can't do that any more. Please, Mindy...just do what I ask. I'm trying to help you."

Bolt sat back and waited as Mindy finally went silent, taking everything in. The pain on her face was obvious, and Bolt continued to feel self-loathing for what he had been forced to say, but at the same time, he did not regret it. He was doing this for Mindy's safety, not his own...and that was enough for him.

Finally, when Mindy did finally accept the situation for what it was, her face filled with the last emotion Bolt had expected; anger. "I see," she said evenly, although Bolt could tell it was forced. "I understand...it's because of who I am, isn't it?"

Bolt stared at Mindy, confused. "What?"

"I'm a coward, I've always known it! And that's what this is about, isn't it?! You're worried that if I tag along, I'm going to lose my nerve and become a danger to you! Isn't it, Bolt?!"

Bolt took a step back, away from Mindy. He had never seen her like this before. "What...no! Mindy, listen, I - "

"Shut up, Bolt! Don't lie to me! You just want me out of the way so I won't slow you down, right? _Right?!_" Mindy screamed the last word, causing Bolt to look fleetingly at Mittens, making sure she was still asleep. Unfortunately, Mindy noticed it, too. "And that is why she's staying with you, because she has the courage to keep fighting when things get dangerous! No, I get it, now, Bolt! You used me...you used me for your own advantage, and now that I'm no longer useful, you're getting rid of me!"

It was obvious to Bolt that Mindy was acting on emotional impulse, and that she was not thinking straight...but he simply did not know what to say to make her calm down. He just stared at her, dumbfounded. In the end, it was another mistake, as Mindy took the silence for guilt.

"I knew it...you can't even bring up the courage to tell me the truth." She turned away from Bolt, disgusted. "I don't know what I saw in you when I first met you, Bolt...but I now know that it was all a lie." She made to walk off. She was obviously intent on leaving there and then.

Bolt took a cautious step towards her retreating form. He wanted to make her see the truth, but had no idea how to go about it. "Mindy, wait..."

"Enough, Bolt!" Mindy's head whipped back around, and the rage it had splashed across it was more than enough to make Bolt retreat back again. "When I saw you come out from that ocean, I was amazed by your fur. I thought it was a sign of your kindness...of your purity. But now I can see past the lies...and I can see that your heart is a black as the mark staining your side." Bolt winced, the comment hitting him hard, as he looked down at his mark. "Goodbye, Bolt...I don't care about you and Penny, but I hope you stop Calico, for everyone's sakes more than yours." And with that final, scathing comment, Mindy disappeared, quickly vanishing into the night as Bolt stared after her, shocked and hurt.

Once Bolt got over the initial shock of Mindy's words, he stared down at his fur. Over the course of the two days it had dried out, turning from the shining, matted coat to the rippling, pure white fur coat that looked as if it had not been through two weeks of hell. Then Bolt looked at his mark, the one, lone blemish on his otherwise pure fur. Was that what it was? Was it a sign of something dark, still hidden under all his good intentions? Had he been right all along...was there a monster inside him, waiting to be unleashed?

_No! Stop it!_ Mentally biting himself, Bolt shoved the thoughts out of his mind. There was no monster, nothing else waiting to turn him into an evil mindless monster. He had taken control of himself and his powers that morning...he was himself, nothing more. He was as pure as his fur, and his mark was what it had always been; a symbol of his powers, nothing more.

But then he looked up, remembering Mindy was leaving. "Mindy! Mindy, wait!" He darted off into the darkness after her, but by now it was far too late. He had no idea which way Mindy had gone, and without her returning voice, there was no way of finding her.

Bolt's head dropped in sadness and shame as he realised what he had done. Mindy was gone...he had driven her away...and she was not coming back, ever again.


	46. Chapter 45: Trial of Solitude

**Chapter 45**

**Trial of Solitude**

The sun was just beginning to show itself above the hills to Bolt's right when he saw the sign that told he was almost there:

_Calico Technology Power Research Facility: Los Angeles_

_1 Mile ahead_

Bolt released a relieved sigh. He was on the right track...he was almost there. If Mittens was right, this was where Calico was hiding, and where he was keeping Penny, and her father. Everything he had worked towards, every purpose he had been given, was exceptionally close to fulfilment...just one single mile away.

But Bolt knew that this one, last mile, after a journey that had covered hundreds of miles, was going to be the longest mile he had ever travelled.

He looked back down the road he had travelled along to get here, never feeling more lonely than right now. After Mindy's terrifying tantrum, and sudden departure, Bolt had decided, having noticed a sign pointing him towards Calico's facility on a nearby highway, that it was time to leave everyone behind...even Mittens. Both her and Mindy had helped him so much, in different ways...it simply would not be fair if he repaid such kindness by allowing them to come with him into the belly of the beast. Mittens might end up with her feelings hurt, much like Mindy had, but to Bolt, that was much more preferable than having them physically hurt, which he was almost certainly going to suffer trying to bring down Calico. He had to protect his new friends...even if it meant the destruction of those friendships.

Finally, Bolt turned back, looking once more at the sign. One mile...that's all. Just one more mile. But now, it was a mile that Bolt was reluctant to take. For the first time ever, he was torn between two goals...two desires. On on side, he had his lifelong devotion to Penny, and his vow to stop Calico's sinister plan. But on the other, he had his new friendships with Mindy and Mittens...and his heart desperately yearned to go back and stay in the company of those he had grown to like and trust so much.

But Bolt shook himself, knowing it was no longer possible. Mindy was gone, and he could not, in good conscience, lead Mittens into such terrible danger. He had long ago made his choice to be completely devoted to protecting his person...and he was not going to let her down, not after all this. Slowly, one step at a time, Bolt finally managed to make his way past the sign, and continue on towards Calico's facility...and what Bolt knew would be his final confrontation with the mad power-seeker.

But every step hurt. With every step he took, not only was he abandoning the only friends he had ever had that he could relate to, but he was walking straight towards what was going to be one of the biggest fights Bolt had ever been in, which left him certain that he was walking straight towards his death. Even if, by some miracle, he rescued Penny, and her father, and they both escaped, Bolt could not help but feel a sickening sense of foreboding. As Bolt looked over the rising sun, Bolt forced himself to pause briefly, to take in the beautiful spectacle of the sun shining down over the hills and onto his body. His foreboding feeling told him to enjoy this sunrise...for it would be his last.

As Bolt thought about this, he could not help but laugh at the irony of his situation. He had, just two days ago, been saved from suicide by two friends...and for what? So he could break those friendships, and march himself straight to his death anyway! But Bolt no longer cared. If he died ensuring those he loved and cared for had their own lives back, then that would be enough for him. He had long since accepted that death was going to have to be his punishment for all of Calico's men he had killed...now it was just a matter of making sure that he died in circumstances that saved others.

Finally, having had enough of his meandering, depression thought train, Bolt once again trudged down the road towards Calico's facility, concentrating on putting one paw in front of the other, letting the continuous, ceaseless plodding wipe all thought from his mind, as he gathered every last trace of courage in his body. He knew he was going to need it all for what Calico's last facility had in store for him. As he did this, he also checked his powers, making sure that absolutely everything in his body was prepared for the confrontation that was going to follow this last mile. Sure enough, just as Bolt expected, his powers were there, in their usual place in his mind, and they responded to his call without hesitation. He had full control over his powers now, and it was time Calico learned exactly what kind of trouble a super-dog can be.

With his thoughts focused on his own four paws, that last mile slowly began to fall away behind Bolt. But his mind would not stop turning back to Mindy and Mittens, and as such, the last mile seemed to take an absolute eternity to travel. By the time Bolt reached the bottom of a rise, and heard the faint sounds of people milling about in the distance, he could have sworn that the last mile had taken more time than the rest of his adventure, both with and without Penny, had taken. But now that Bolt heard the distant sounds of the facility, all other thoughts were obliterated from his mind as his adrenaline kicked in. At long last, after two weeks, he was here...he had reached Calico, and the man had no idea he was coming. This time, he would have the element of surprise...and Calico would be the one caught in the trap!

Knowing he was close, Bolt now left the road that had guided him here, moving far enough away from it that he should not be spotted by anyone on or near it, before finally making his way up the final rise and, at long last, beholding his target...Calico's Power Research Facility...and Headquarters.

Unlike all the other facilities Bolt had seen, which had been one massive structure, this facility was composed of multiple structures, all built in different ways. A huge perimeter fence stretched all the way around the edges of the facility, causing Bolt to realise just how big the place was. Highton had only been an office high-rise building, and Bolivia had been mostly underground, large but not overly so...this place was easily larger than the entire town of Silverlake, several square miles contained within that fence...all of it owned by Calico.

Bolt winced slightly as the thought of Silverlake tried to trigger a cascade of fuzzy memories, but Bolt pushed them aside before they could take over. He could not get sentimental now, not when he was so close. There would be plenty of time for reflection once he got Penny and Richard back. Forcing himself to focus on the monumental task ahead of him, he tried to inspect the facility more closely, looking for anything, any sign of where Calico, or Penny, might be hiding amongst the massive collection of buildings.

The first thing Bolt's eyes were drawn to were the series of four massive concrete columns, rising up out of the ground near the middle of the facility. They looked exceptionally similar to the ventilation stacks on nuclear power plants that Bolt had never seen personally, but had gotten looks at thanks to the piece of human ingenuity that was the television. Then he remembered the sign that had mentioned that this place was called a 'Power Research Facility', and realised that, as well as researching methods of producing power, this facility also doubled as a power plant in its own right, making sure that it did not need to rely on any external power source. The massive columns belched out different kinds of smoke; some black and sooty, others so white it was obvious it was water vapour, not smoke. Whatever Calico was doing with power here, Bolt realised, he was looking into every method of gathering it.

But for all intents and purposes, those stacks were useless to Bolt's plans of infiltrating, so he quickly moved on from them, looking for anything else. There were several other buildings, all sturdily built of concrete, scattered around the facility, their various shapes and sizes showing them to be for different purposes. but in the end, only one building held Bolt's attention; a large, sprawling, multi-storied building that looked like the Highton facility on a small scale, a large, rectangular mass of glass and steel. Bolt realised that there would only be one reason that this building was built more for looks than purpose...it had to be some kind of living area. Which could only mean that Calico's personal quarters, and possibly his holding cells for captives, were as well!

At last, he had found it! He had come so far, and now he could almost see Calico through the reflective glass windows, relaxing in some reclining chair, completely oblivious to his approach. Now Bolt had a definitive target, and a picture of that target, his mind started to form a plan, looking for a way of getting into the facility, whilst maintaining his element of surprise. He knew that, as long as he went undetected, he had a distinct advantage in this exchange.

But that was also where the problems arose. The glass building was right in the middle of the facility, not too far from the massive smoke stacks. Getting to it without being detected was going to be a tough ask. And if he was detected, then what? He may have powers, but he would still be one dog against an army of Calico's men, all armed with their guns and their electrified hands, although he had not seen those since Highton. And as he had learned back at Pentland Beach, one stray bullet would be all it took to undo all the efforts he had made so far. He may have come a long way to get Penny back, but now, at this final stage, all it would take was one mistake, one small error, and everything he had worked for would be lost...forever.

But at the same time, Bolt knew that he could never, ever turn back. Penny may no longer be his sole reason for being, but she was still everything to him...he could not turn back now and simply leave her. Not only would it be a brazen betrayal of the trust they had forged over their five years together, it would also give Calico his final victory...and if he had that, then no-one Bolt loved would be safe, and his small efforts to protect Mittens and Mindy would be rendered useless.

So, his decision made for him, Bolt continued to watch the facility, taking his time in watching the perimeter fence in particular, looking for any weakness in the massive security net Calico had covering the facility. He quickly dismissed any thoughts of trying to infiltrate the facility by sneaking in with a vehicle at the main entrance...the security here was tighter than the precautions the Bolivia facility had taken, he was certain to be discovered if he tried that route.

but, at the same time, Bolt could see that the mass of guards patrolling the perimeter fence left no gaps in their web. Bolt realised, a little glumly, that there was no way of getting past that fence without being discovered by the guards. but as he watched, he ended up noticing one, tiny flaw in the security screen. He noticed that the entire perimeter was very carefully patrolled, the guards moving in such a way so that they were always in sight of at least one other patrolman. That way, if anything did happen to one guard, the other would be able to sound the alarm immediately. But there was one point in the patrol, not too far from where Bolt was standing, where a small set of trees and bushes obscured the view the guards had of each other. Every time the patrolman of that sector went past, he fell out of sight of his nearest companions for a few brief moments.

A few brief moments was never going to be enough for Bolt, so he had initially dismissed the flaw as worthless. The moment the other guards realised that their friend had not reappeared, the alarm would sound. Even with his powers, Bolt could not reach the building in time, even if he used his speed to its fullest extent. The facility would go into lockdown, Calico would know he had arrived, and Bolt's plan would be over before it had even begun. But now, as he watched, he saw the guard head to the cluster of trees, making his latest pass...except that, this time, he stopped, eventually settling himself down against a tree, relaxing in the shade. Bolt looked at this latest event in amazement, then looked at the two nearest guards on either side of the man, looking for their reactions. They had noticed their companion settling in to doze off, but they didn't seem to care. As he watched, Bolt realised that, despite the heavy security measures, the guards were slack. Years of useless patrolling of a facility that no-one would dare trespass on had lead them to become relaxed...they no longer took their job seriously, and the guards simply accepted that whoever was patrolling the region with the trees was entitled to a little daytime nap.

Bolt smiled as he watched the man in the trees, now out of sight of his companions, slowly dozing off. There was his chance, his little opening. If he could sneak past that man, preferably without waking him, then he could sneak into the facility. And when the man woke up and resumed his patrol, neither he, nor anyone else, would be aware that a small, dangerous White Shepherd had just crossed into the facility's perimeter.

But it was dangerous. If the man was just resting, or happened to wake up at exactly the wrong moment, Bolt would be forced to silence him. He would still be able to sneak in undetected, since the man was not visible to the other patrols, but his time would be limited before he was discovered...and that was something he could not afford. bolt knew that, in spite of the critical weakness in Calico's security, he was going to have to be extremely careful when he tried this.

But he had a plan now, and that was enough for him. He had to move fast, before the man could have a chance to wake up from his nap and catch him. Slowly, he started down the hill towards the sleeping guard, smiling slightly to himself as he went.

"I'm coming, Penny," he said quietly, hoping that, somehow, the soft message would reach Penny, and comfort her while he looked for her.


	47. Chapter 46: Calico's Wrath

**Chapter 46**

**Calico's Wrath**

Somehow, Penny did not know exactly how, that today was her day of reckoning. When she woke up, finding herself faced with the now-familiar site of the steel drowning cage, and the massive underground cavern that surrounded, there was a strange sense of finality in her that told her, in some way, that her time was up. She looked down at the steel floor directly in front of her, instantly spotting her father sitting there, tied to the chair, sleeping. The sense of doom grew stronger as she looked at her father. She knew he was strong-willed, but his desire to protect her overruled any other emotion or instinct he held. Calico had beaten the man, and Penny knew it, the sense of finality reaching a fever pitch so high that that Penny could only come to one conclusion as to the origin of the sense.

She knew, somehow, that today was her last day...today, she was going to die.

Since Calico had broken Richard, finally succeeding in getting him to expose the deepest secrets of his experiments on Bolt, the two of them had been left where they were, Richard mentally broken, Penny sopping wet and shivering, to contemplate their fates. Penny had no idea how long it had been since then, it was impossible to tell time in a giant underground cavern that constantly buzzed with activity, and never showed any sign of change. All she was that here, now, today, Calico was going to come back...and this time, he would get what he truly wanted; the secret to infusing humans with powers. Like Calico, Penny was convinced that, although her father constantly protested to the contrary, that he knew the secret. Richard had so many secrets, why shouldn't he have this one?

But Penny also knew that it did not matter whether Richard knew the secret or not...they were both going to die anyway. If Richard did not know the secret, Penny would be drowned in Calico's raging attempts to extract the non-existent information, and when Calico finally realised the truth, Richard would suffer a similar fate. And if Richard did know the secret, then Calico would simply threaten Penny's life once more, and once Richard, his resolve already destroyed, cracked and revealed all, then Calico would kill them both, since they were no longer of any use to him.

It was not that certainty of death that had Penny worried. With Bolt gone, and herself a prisoner, she knew that death held little fear for her any longer. No, to her the real fear came from the fact that, as Calico's captive, Richard would not last. he would spill the ultimate secret...that would give Calico his final victory. And that, Penny knew, would leave the world with a fate worse than death.

In the end, Penny released a small sigh of resignation. Why was bothering with these useless thoughts? It was over...there was nothing left. Calico had already won, he was just dragging out his triumph as one last, final insult to his two captors. All her rambling thoughts were doing was leaving her more depressed at the one, last day she had ahead of her. She tried to shut her mind, ending the stream of thoughts, but they stubbornly came back, her mind simply refusing to go blank. In desperation, she tried to find another, less depressing chain of thought...and ended up coming across the very last thing she wanted to think about...Bolt.

Penny had desperately tried to block her faithful White Shepherd out of her mind ever she had been left here, but he always came back, sooner or later. And every time she thought about him, it broke her heart. During her whole time out there, looking for her father, Bolt had been a constant companion, even if he was a little too violent for his own good. Bolt had protected her, and given her the strength necessary to carry on, when, without the faithful dog, she would have long since given up. He had constantly laid his own life on the line to protect hers, and she had done her best to reciprocate...but not any more.

Now Bolt was dead...her last protector was gone, completely turned to ash by Calico. The one true friend she had in life was no more, and with him, all of Penny's hopes had died as well. As she slowly broke down into stifled sobs at the memory of her closest friend, she knew, deep in her heart, that this day was the day she had been waiting for since she saw that terrible explosion at the Bolivia facility. In the end, nothing mattered to Penny except that she was going to die...and when she did, she would finally be reunited with Bolt, and once Richard was killed, too, they would all be together for the first time in ages...a family to the death.

"Penny?" Her father's soft voice pulled her from her sobs and her acceptance of her fate. She looked up, noticing that her father had woken up, and was now looking at her, his own grief and sorrow obvious. "Penny, I'm sorry...for everything. I...I never should have dragged you and Bolt into this. It's my fault he's dead, Penny...no-one else's. I'm sorry..."

"Hey! Quiet down!" Both Penny and Richard flinched at the command, Penny quickly looking around, spotting the guard that had spoken. She had completely forgotten about the three guards that had been left behind to watch over them. But Penny gave no thought to Richard's words...because they were not true. It was not his fault that Bolt was dead...the blame lay on her.

She was the one that had insisted on chasing her father down...on fighting when she could have run instead. She could not leave her father to die at Calico's hand, and, at the time, she had completely believed that she would not survive in the harsh outside world without her father to guide her way. In the end, she had proved to herself that she was more than capable of surviving the devastating, sickening reality of the adult...but at terrible cost. She had walked straight into Calico's trap, making herself his latest captive, and led Bolt straight to his unavoidable death. She had tried to save what was left of her fragmented family, and in the end, all she had done was destroy it, completely and irreversibly. There was no-one to blame for this mess but herself...and Penny knew it.

But she was long past guilt. She had tried...and she had failed. Nothing was ever going to change that simple fact, so all she could do was accept it, and the resultant fate, as calmly as she possibly could. Sighing, she settled down in her cage, her mental acceptance of the situation having exactly the calming effect she had been hoping for as she lay back, and waited for Calico to make his move.

In the end, she only had to wait a few moments before to lift situated in front of her cage, and behind Richard's chair, pinged softly and the doors parted, Calico striding purposefully from them, smiling in his usual, evil way at Penny as he approached her. _It is time,_ Penny realised, without a hint of fear. She had accepted her fate, and it seemed that, with that acceptance, she was now to be given a quick end.

But as Calico continued to approach, Penny noticed several things that did not make sense to her. First, as Calico moved away from the lift, his cat - ever-present on his shoulders - leapt off of its master and slinked away into the shadows, where its black soon caused it to fade from Penny's view. But this strange occurrence was only a minor one, since Penny noticed that, through Calico's smile, she could see a definite sense of fury underneath. It took Penny only the briefest of instants to realise why; something had come up...some complication had drawn Calico's attention, and forced his hand. He had obviously intended on leaving Penny and Richard there for a little while longer, but something was happening that was making Calico act now, before he lost his chance.

And for the first time, Penny saw the full implications of what was happening. _Calico was off-balance!_ Something had unsettled him, caused him to panic...and Penny had always been taught that a panicking man was far, far more likely to make mistakes.

It did not take long for Calico to make his first. As he strode ever-closer to Penny, he spoke into a small, almost invisible headset on his left ear, not bothering to conceal his words in his rush to get things done. "I don't care what it takes, you fool! Just get every security guard not assigned to the outer perimeter into the cavern! And Marcus, find the traitor and kill him! We're so close now...I don't want one man screwing up my life's work, you hear me!" With those heated words, Calico ripped the headset from his ear and threw it across the room forcefully, where it landed in the fast-flowing underground river, never to be used again.

Penny looked at Calico, mouth agape, as she processed the violent outburst. At first, she thought, for one wild moment, that Calico was referring to Bolt, that he had somehow risen from the dead and found Penny. But the thought disappeared as she realised that Calico had to referred to the invader as a 'traitor'...someone on the inside had risen up against Calico, and it was causing him a great deal of concern. But who? Penny felt that she should know, that she should be able to make sense of this latest matter...but before she could, Calico reached them, and started speaking.

"Alright, you two, I am done playing these games!" Calico's voice seethed with rage and impatience. Whatever had happened, it was leaving him very edgy. "I may have played along these past couple of days, but I have had enough!" He grabbed Richard's chair forcefully, continuing to shout as he forced the chair to lean back, giving Richard a better view of his daughter. "I am going to ask once, and once only...how do you alter the enhancement process for humans?" Calico was obviously in a very potent rage, and Penny knew that the situation was fast spiralling out of control. Someone may be invading his facility...but unless Richard could find a way of stalling for time, their last chance of escape would be lost. Calico was at his wit's end, and he would not hesitate to kill both of them if he felt things were dragging on for far too long.

Richard seemed to noticed the slight spur of hope the two of them had, and so did exactly what Penny though he would do...play for time. "Calico, haven't you been listening to me? I've told you, I don't - "

His desperate attempt at explaining himself dissolved into a startled yelp as Calico struck him, hard, across the cheek. "Defiant to the end, Richard...oh, how noble!" Calico's whole stance told Penny that he in a murderous mood, and any attempts of playing for time were going to have to be very convincing to work. "But as I said before, I will no longer tolerate these games!" A dangerous flare in his mismatched eyes, Calico dropped Richard's chair roughly and stormed over to the controls for the winch that could lower Penny's cage into the water, his hand hovering over the button that would seal Penny's fate. "I am giving you one, final chance, Richard. Give me the answer to my question, or Penny drowns!"

"Listen to reason, Calico!" Richard cried, desperation lacing his voice. "Do you really think that I would let my daughter even touch that water if I knew! I would have already told you...my daughter's life is not worth this stupid fight! I'm telling you, right now, Calico; I...do...not...know...the...process!" He spoke the last word with forced, slow emphasis, making sure that Calico had understood the meaning of every syllable. And as Penny listened, she came to the awful conclusion...there was no sign of deception in Richard at all, he was telling the complete truth.

But Calico either did not see the truth...or did not care. "Then your daughter dies, professor...and then when I'm done, so will you!"

But just before Calico slammed his finger on the button, Penny came up with a desperate, last-ditch plan, just to buy more time. "Wait! Calico! You can have the process!"

Both Calico and Richard looked at her, both of them equally stunned at her declaration. Neither of them had expected her to come up with a solution. Richard, in the end, was the first to recover. "Penny, what are - "

"Silence!" Calico snapped, stopping Richard mid-word, before turning his attention back to Penny. "What would you know about this alteration?"

"Nothing!" Penny shouted, but blustered on before Calico's rage could creep back into play. She had his attention, and that was all she needed. "The point is, my father's telling the truth!" She tried to speak slowly, the wring every last second of time she could from Calico, while this intruder continued to fight his way through God-knows-what kind of security Calico had set up...it was her only chance. "He does not know the process...I can tell! All you will get by drowning me is a body, which will be useless in making my father talk!"

"And you have an alternative?" Calico demanded sceptically. Penny could tell he was doubtful, but that served in Penny's favour...it would force her to explain her idea clearly, taking up more time.

"Yes, I do! My father may not know the process, but I expect that he could get it for you...if you allowed him to get back to his research! The only reason you would be interrogating my father, rather than simply replacing him, is because you believe that he's the only one that can do it, isn't it?"

Calico actually paused for a moment, seeming to struggle to follow Penny's reasoning. "What exactly are you proposing, girl?"

"Let my father go, and allow him to continue his work...let him find the secret for you! You have me prisoner, which I can guarantee will make him behave! He can find this process you want, and we have served our purpose...everyone wins!" She looked in desperation at her father, trying to show him, while Calico was distracted with the proposition, that she was using this as a ploy to buy time. But she was unable to see past her father's look of complete, horrified shock...unable to see if he understood the true meaning behind her words.

Finally, he spoke. "Penny...what are...why...?" he seemed unable to string together a coherent sentence.

Penny decided she needed to add a little extra layer to the ruse, whether or not her father understood her. "Dad, don't fight it any more...it'll only lead to our deaths! Our only chance now is to do what he wants!"

Richard looked at Penny for several more moments in stunned silence, trying to grasp exactly what her daughter was doing. But then, at last, she noticed something in her father's stance in his chair. His eyes focused more strongly onto her, and his shoulders, slumped in defeat for the past couple of days, straightened. At last, he had seen Penny's plan, she had finally gotten the message across!

And with that, Richard started to play along, buying for even more time. "Calico, it's the only way you're going to get what you're after! Please...I don't want to see my daughter die because you can't accept a simple truth! I'm begging you, please...just let my daughter live. I'll help you...just don't hurt her!"

All of this desperate ploys, Penny was amazed to notice, seemed to be having an effect on Calico. He fell deep into thought, and it was obviously that he was taking Penny's proposal very, very seriously. Penny almost didn't believe it...it had just been one, last stab in the dark...one final ploy to try and delay Calico...and it was working! For what felt like hours - again, with no sense of time Penny could not be sure - Calico simply stood there, his hand still poised over the cage controls, thinking about their proposal. _Please..._ Penny silently pleaded. _Please just let whoever's causing all this trouble find us...now!_

But finally, after an eternity, Calico came to a decision, and when Penny saw the look on his face, her hopes faded to nothing in an instant. He hadn't taken the bait...and with no sign of this mysterious saviour, Penny knew that her game was up.

Calico slowly began to chuckle at her. "You really think I am that much of a fool, girl! You have been my captive for days now...I know you! And I know you - and your father - are the kind of people who do not give in! No, I see your plan, Penny...you wish to use this as a chance to buy a few more days, perhaps even months, while you and your father form an escape plan!" Penny's face fell, and Calico noticed it. "You may be lucky, girl...but this Penny's luck has finally run out!"

And with that final, gloating, triumphant remark, his hand fell once more on the button to lower the drowning cage.


	48. Chapter 47: Infiltration

**Chapter 47**

**Infiltration**

Bolt's heart hammered inside his ribcage as he crept through the trees and bushes near the sleeping guard, trying to make as little noise as possible. Everything he had worked for...everything that mattered to him now, hinged on his ability to sneak through this area without being noticed. If he made a mistake here, at the very end of the road, he was finished...and so was Penny.

With every step he took, Bolt was forced to restrain himself, control his desperate desire to just break any attempts of sneaking and simply sprint for the facility. His instincts screamed at him to run, to cover the ground he had to cross as quickly as possible, but he kept them in check. If he did that, the noise he made would almost certainly alert the other guards, and the alarm would be raised. He could not afford that, not now. So he forced back his panicky desires, and concentrated on moving with deliberate slowness, carefully moving with each step, trying to make as little noise as possible. He had already risked enough chance of exposure using his Heat-Vision to cut through the mesh fence surrounding the place...he was not going to try his luck any further.

After watching the facility for a few more minutes, to make sure that the coast was completely clear, Bolt had crept down from the hill he was watching the facility from and reached the perimeter fence at the exact point where the sleeping guard lay, hidden amongst the trees. There, he had waited until the guards either side of him had absolutely no chance of spotting him, before using tiny beams of Heat-Vision to slowly cut a gap in the fence for him to pass through. It had been a slow process, using beams so weak they melted the metal wire rather than cutting clean through it, but he had no choice. A larger, stronger beam would almost certainly have been spotted by anyone nearby...he could not risk that.

But now he was through, and facing the most dangerous part of this exercise; passing the sleeping guard in the trees he was sneaking through. The guard was most definitely sleeping, not merely resting. From this close up, Bolt could see the man's slow, even breathing, and although he could not see the eyes past the man's bug-like helmet, he could also make out a trace of a snore. Well and truly asleep. But still Bolt was careful, continuing to put delicate care into each footstep, because he knew that the slightest sound, a single poorly placed paw, and the man's sleep would almost certainly be cut out in an instant. Bolt's path through the trees took him directly behind the man, the White Shepherd's sense of panic forcing him to watch the man as he worked past the sleeping form, painfully slowly. There was still no sign of him stirring, but that might all change at any moment, and Bolt was not going to be caught off guard when that -

_Snap!_

Bolt winced, then froze, inwardly cursing his mistake. He had been so focused on watching the sleeping form of the guard, that he had forgotten to watch the ground where he was placing his paws. As such, he had inadvertently stepped on a twig, cleanly snapping it with a loud crack that Bolt was certain could wake the dead. Standing stock-still, he continued to watch the man, knowing that at any moment he must jump up, trying to figure out where that sound had come from. But, miraculously, he man did not wake. The loud sound had caused him to stir slightly, but he merely mumbled a few incoherent words, before unconsciously settling into a more comfortable position and resuming his nap.

Bolt waited for a few more terrifying moments, not convinced that the guard could have slept through such a disturbance. But after a full minute without any more sign of life from the man, Bolt finally heaved a quiet sigh of relief, before turning back to his task, now focusing more intently on the ground, making sure that he did not repeat his mistake again. For a moment, Bolt was slightly tempted to simply kill the man there and then, and make sure that he could not be disturbed...he had already come too close to being discovered too many times, the man was only serving to slow him down...

_NO!_ Bolt actually bit himself in the paw lightly to stop his train of thought, letting the flash of pain sever his thought train before it took hold of him. He had already been through this, he was not going to kill in cold blood...not any more. He had seen first-hand the monster he had become on this adventure so far, and he was not, after sparing his own life with the promise of changing his ways, going to fall back into that trap again. He had promised himself that he would kill only when he had absolutely no other choice, when his own life, or the lives of those dear to him, were in immediate danger...he was not going to break that promise just so he could more easily infiltrate this facility.

In the end, his self-control gave his conscience a good boost. He had restrained himself from needless killing, and in the end, it did not make any difference. After a few more minutes of careful, deliberate sneaking, he finally found himself at the other side of small gathering of foliage, with nothing but a huge stretch of grass and concrete between him and the glass building that was his target...several hundred metres of it. Careful to keep himself concealed inside the shadows of the trees, Bolt looked around, trying to figure out where the two nearest guards were on either side. When he finally did see them, he noticed that they were some distance away, but currently heading towards him, following the fence as they went. Desperate to continue on, and find Penny as quickly as possible, he quickly assessed the situation, trying to determine if the risk of being spotted at this distance was worth the couple of minutes time he would get from leaving now, as opposed to waiting until the guard's backs were turned, when he'd have no chance of being spotted. In the end, he decided to wait. No point taking unnecessary risks when the gain could be worth nothing. He pushed his desperation to be on his way aside, although he continued to remain on edge. It would be much better to wait until there was the lowest chance possible of being detected, then he'd move.

But fate, it seemed, had other ideas. As Bolt settled down to wait for the guards to both turn their backs on him, he heard a loud, exaggerated groan from the man sleeping in the trees as he stirred and stretched. Bolt looked back, his eyes boggling. The guard was waking up! _Now that's not fair!_ he complained silently as he jumped to his feet, looking at the guards, who continued to approach. Watching them carefully for a few moments, he realised that their attention seemed to be unfocused...they were daydreaming as they patrolled.

But even as he tried to make absolutely sure that this was fact, and not just a wild hope on the White Shepherd's part, he heard the guard in the trees get to his feet, groaning as he stretched his stiff muscles. Bolt realised that, daydreaming or not, he had to move now, before the guards got any closer...or before something snapped them out of their daze. He backed up slightly, drawing on his powers as he did so. If he was going to avoid the attention of even a daydreaming guard, he would have to move so fast that they would not see anything more than an indistinct blur, which they would then be able to simply dismiss as a fragment of their daydreaming minds. Moving at such speeds meant he would need every last bit of his power...and he would need to use it all in the space of a few short seconds. It was a massive risk...if there were any more dangers ahead of him, Bolt would be, quite literally, powerless to defend himself against them. But he had no choice, fate had thrown him into this situation, and the only way out of it was to weaken himself to any further problems.

Bolt backed up into the trees slightly, giving himself as much run-up room as time allowed. He needed to be at his absolute fastest by the time he cleared the trees. But, once again, he heard movement from somewhere behind him, and knew that his time was up. If he wanted to remain undetected, he would have to go now. Stopping, Bolt took a few deep breaths, before gathering all his powers...and unleashing all of it as he sprang off from the mark.

The instant he took off, Bolt knew that this burst of speed was something entirely new. He knew that he had pushed his powers to the limit when he had been trying to escape the exploding Bolivia facility with Mittens, and that he had gone unbelievably fast then, but this was something else entirely. Even lost track of where he was, seeing nothing but a completely indistinct blur, and hearing nothing but the rushing of the wind in his own ears. He forced himself to hold this blind sprint for a couple of moments, then dragged himself to a stop, trying quickly to figure out where he was. With no real sense of speed or direction, other than he had been going insanely fast in a straight line, he could be anywhere in the facility by now, he realised.

The first he did was look behind him, to see if the guards had noticed his sudden appearance from the trees. He saw the two guards, approaching the trees from either side, had stopped, and were looking at each other. Bolt took this as a bad sign and froze, noticing the shadow of a building nearby, and slowly crept into it, waiting for the guards to dash off in his direction, guns up and ready to shoot him down.

But it never came. After several tense moments, during which the third guard appeared from the trees, the three of them resumed their respective patrols, showing no sign that they thought they had been breached. Bolt could not help smiling slyly to himself. He had done it! He was inside Calico's biggest, and most important, facility...and even closer to Penny. His smile widened when he turned around, and by some amazing stroke of luck, found himself right outside the glass building that had been his target...the living quarters, he could tell. He was now certain of it.

"Your time has come, Calico!" he said venomously to himself as he wandered along the edge of the building, heading for a doorway he could see up ahead. He walked slowly, his mind struggling to grasp his new-found position. He was in his most hated enemy's greatest lair, and closer to Penny than ever. His final victory was mere moments away!

And it was there, in that moment, that everything went wrong...again!

Just as he was about to enter the sliding doorway of the glass facility, mere metres from it, a loud, wailing alarm started sounding, filling the entire facility, both indoors and out, with its constant, piercing cry. Bolt froze the moment he heard it, confused. He did not understand...he had so far suffered a few close calls, but he had done nothing to attract the guard's attention...how could they have known he was here?

But he tossed his confusion aside. His element of surprise had been lost now, there was nothing left to do except find Calico and Penny, fast...before Calico had time to make his escape and fade away, never to be seen again. Springing into action, the White Shepherd instantly charged at the doors, using his powers to protect himself as he crashed straight through the glass panel set into the door, not bothering to wait for it to open and admit him the usual way. Not stopping, he immediately tore through what appeared some kind of reception area, darting instantly into the hallways beyond, not even stopping to see if there was anyone there. It did not matter any more. He had been discovered, and the only thing that mattered now was finding Penny and Calico...and only stopping those who got in his way.

But as he ran through the various, identical white-washed hallways, he realised that he was not going to find Calico and Penny by simply running around blindly. He needed something to guide him, to show him how this facility was laid out...a map! Now with a definite, focused target in mind, Bolt became much more methodical in his search. He still ran blindly through hallways, but now he looked carefully at the walls around him, looking for a map of the facility, like the one Penny had used at the Bolivia place. But he ran around corner after corner, and there was still no sign of -

"Hey, what...?"

Bolt's head snapped around as he saw the source of the voice. One lowly guard, obviously in the act of running around himself. But he was poorly prepared for a confrontation, lacking a helmet or gun. But Bolt knew that the man was not defenceless, those gloves that made up the suit could be electrified in moments, and although Bolt had no idea how powerful the current that flowed through them was, he had no intention of finding out. Reacting instinctively, Bolt lunged for the man, his jaws going for his throat, planning on a quick, silent end to the battle. But just before he struck, Bolt remembered his vow, and adjusted on the fly. Twisting himself in the air, he focused his powers away from his jaws, and into his muscular torso as he curled up in mid-air, and crashed bodily into the man's chest, sending them both sprawling to the ground. But Bolt could tell that, despite landing a heavy blow, that the man was still conscious and capable of fighting. But a quick, sharp strike across the temple with his paw changed that, and the man became still and silent, the only sign of life the tiny, feeble breaths he took. This guard was not going to wake for some time.

Proud of the way he handled the situation, Bolt smiled down at the guard. "You'll live," he remarked, even though the man could never hear him. Happy with his new-found sense of restraint, Bolt turned to continue his search...

...just as something cold and hard struck him hard in the jaw, and, having stowed away his powers just seconds before, Bolt, now defenceless against such a blow, yelped once in pain, before everything went black.


	49. Chapter 48: True Courage

**Chapter 48**

**True Courage**

Los Angeles had just come into sight from the top of a hill when Mindy's anger finally faded enough to make her realise what she had done.

Staring at the seemingly endless expanse of streets, houses and skyscrapers laid out before her, Mindy's mind shot backwards, to the argument that had flared between her and Bolt last night. When she remembered the point where she had lost control and ranted, before disappearing into the night, she was horrified. She froze where she was, in mid-stride, her jaw dropping at the memory of her own words, her own complete loss of control...and her own dismissal of a friendship she knew had still been there, despite her words.

For a moment, she was silent, trying to digest everything that had happened, everything that had been said. In the end, the final realisation of what she had done came when she remembered that, as she left, she had heard Bolt calling to her, calling for her to come back, but she, in her anger, had ignored it. With that realisation, she also that it was herself, not Bolt, who had been in the wrong in that argument. It was she that had betrayed the friendship between them, not the White Shepherd she had come to admire so much.

Guilt struck her like a physical blow, causing her to take back the stride she had stopped in, and taking back several more after that, finally sitting down, not trusting herself to stand. _Oh...what have I done?_ She turned her head, looking back the way she had come, back down the nearby highway she was following. she could not see Calico's facility, nor the place where she, Bolt and Mittens had stayed last night, but she could see the exit ramp, and the narrow road that eventually led to Calico's hideout...and that was what she focused on. "Oh, Bolt...I'm sorry," she whispered, lowering her head in shame.

In the end, she knew, it all came down to her. She had said the heated words that would have no doubt destroyed her relationship with Bolt. She was one who had failed the hero, and she was the one who had failed herself. Every day, since she had lost her person to those thugs - and her own cowardice - she had worked, tirelessly, to give herself courage, to bring herself the inner strength that would allow her to act when the time came, when she was thrust into another position of life and death, where she would be the one to choose if she could save a life, possibly at the expense of her own, or run, and save herself. But now, after over a year of effort, all she had done was turn herself into a miserable, moody German Shepherd that found it now all-too-easy to lash out at friends when she did not agree with what they were saying. The past year had changed her...but not her courage. She had simply become moodier, and slightly more violent.

And in that moment, she saw, with perfect, crystal clarity; she would never find her courage...because it simply did not exist. She did not have to ability to cast aside her fear like she knew Bolt could. And because of that, she would be condemned to walk the streets of various cities...condemned to always be Mud, the stray, cowardly Shepherd she had been for the past year.

But as she accepted that, her mind turned to Bolt, the only real friend she had made since she had cast off all ties to her old life and become a stray. Zippy had been good company, sure, but the little Jack Russell was simply too energetic, too active, and too annoying for Mindy to really accept him as a friend. In the end, it had all been Bolt. As she had done several times over the last couple of days, she wondered at the white fur he had. When she had first met him, covered in dirt and filth, she had completely believed he was another German Shepherd, which was part of the reason she was drawn to him when she had seen him that day. She had not really believed him when he had mentioned that he was not the breed she was convinced he was...at least not until he had risen from the ocean that morning. Bolt was the only friend Mindy could say she had these days, and she had begun to suspect, especially after seeing him in the last two days, in his true form, in his prime, that her feelings were moving beyond friendship, that she was beginning to look for something more in the White Shepherd.

And now? Now there was nothing. She had thrown away his friendship in a split second, in an argument over her safety, of all things! Sitting there on the hill, Mindy quietly cursed her own stupidity. Bolt had been just trying to look out for her, to protect her, and she, in her new sense of stubbornness, and her nervousness she associated now with her developing crush on the dog, she had cracked, and ranted at him, accusing him of using her, before blindly turning her back on him, and stalking away, walking in silent fury until now, where she had seen the truth. In the end, she realised, all her accusations had been hypocrisy at its worst. In the end, she was the one that had used Bolt. She was one that had betrayed, and ultimately destroyed, their friendship, at a point where Bolt was just trying to look out for her, to do the right thing and let her walk away from the danger she knew Bolt must now be facing.

Mindy once more looked at the point where she could see the road to Calico's facility, her eyes narrowing. Bolt was in danger...she knew he would not let what happened last night slow him down. If anything, it would make him more determined to head in there, more determined to save the person that he held so dear to him. Mindy managed a slight smile. That was what she admired most in Bolt; his willingness to do anything, even throw his own life on the line, for those he cared about. He was risking his life to save Penny, and he had destroyed his friendship with her to save her from the danger he was now so willingly walking into.

Then Mindy froze, indecision hitting her. She wanted, desperately, to help Bolt, to make up for last night's actions. She wanted to head back, find that facility, and find him, and help him find his person, and stop Calico. In her mind, she knew that it was the very least she could do to make up for last night's mistake.

But once again, her courage failed her. She knew that, if she went in after Bolt, that her fear would take over at the first sign of danger, and she would be either fade away once more, running as she always had...or she would freeze up, and end up being killed by one of Calico's men. In the end, Mindy knew what would happen. She may be desperate to help Bolt, to show that she, too, could be useful...but she knew that her courage, or lack of it, simply would not allow it.

_How does he do it?_ Mindy silently asked herself. She had heard, from both Bolt and Mittens, the things Bolt had done, and the displays of courage he had shown...but she did not understand how he did it, how he cast aside his fear so easily and thoughtlessly. He seemed to have no fear, no sense of the danger he was deliberately putting himself in for others. And Mindy knew, deep insider herself, that she wished that, just for a moment, she could do that...she could throw away her fear and face what she knew she owed Bolt with all the courage he showed, knowing that she would not run, and would not freeze. She wanted to fight at his side, to help him, as he had helped her.

Eventually, Mindy turned away, getting back to her feet and slowly slipping away, back down the hill, towards Los Angeles. She could not do it, simple as that. Her sense of fear was too high, and she had no ability to remove it from her mind. There was no hope of finding her courage, and because of that, she would never be able to face danger...hell, she would never even be able to face Bolt about her feelings for him. She would always be Mud, the lonely, sad stray, condemned to forever wander to streets.

But once again, she stopped. Mud...the name rang with new meaning now. She knew other strays had called her that as a joking reference to her nature as a stray, but only one dog had refused, completely, to call her by that name...Bolt. But why? Why would he so steadfastly avoid using that name, when everyone else did? Why did he always call her Mindy, a name that she no longer thought was appropriate for her, since she had betrayed the person that had named her so? It was as if he was trying to remind her of the past...remind her of that awful, awful time...

That's it! The answer became so clear to Mindy, she wondered why she had not seen it before. Just as she had seen Bolt's goodness in a time when he was succumbing to his darker side, Bolt had also seen something inside Mindy that she herself had not, something that had made him avoid using her new name. And with her new-found mental clarity, Mindy also saw the answer to that, as well. He had seen something inside her...he had seen her inner courage, that she herself had failed to find!

And as Mindy thought of Bolt, and all the things they had been through, together, she suddenly saw the answer. She had always assumed Bolt's courage was simply derived from the fact that he had no fear, that danger and self-preservation meant nothing to him. But now, Mindy could see that that was a lie. Bolt had always known fear...he had been slightly suspicious of her when they first met, she remembered. Finally, Mindy saw, courage was not merely a lack of fear, but rather the ability to accept that fear, and control it, ignore it, continue on in the face of it.

And that, she realised, was something that she could do. She had been trying to erase her fear for the past year, with no thought of the fact that such a feat was simply impossible. All this time, she had been fighting a hopeless cause, but now she saw the answer, and she embraced it willingly. She looked back the way she had come, and despite having already moved a short way from the hilltop, she could still see the road to Calico's facility, where Bolt must already be caught in the midst of various dangers, each one worse than the last.

Once again, Mindy felt fear rising through her at the prospect of chasing down her friend, in the middle of a facility full of armed, dangerous humans that would kill both her and Bolt without a moment's hesitation. But as the fear filled her, leaving her shaking, not just with the terror, but also with shame, she started to fight it. Rather than trying to erase it, she accepted that it was there, but attempted to dismiss it as unimportant, that her need to assist her friend was greater than her fear.

Mindy's eyes widened when she felt her fear recede slightly in the face of this new determination. It was working...she was pushing her fear back! Hope surged through her, and the fear continued to retreat back, fading into the deepest recesses of her mind, she felt a new surge of feeling inside her, something she had never felt before...

...Courage.

Mindy smiled. She could still feel her sense of fear and danger, but now it was hiding away, no longer controlling her. She had taken control of her emotions, and finally found her courage...all thanks to Bolt. "Now," she whispered, as he made her way back, heading straight for the narrow road that lead to Calico's facility...and her best friend, and the danger she knew she could now face willingly. "Time to make amends, for everything."

She had finally found her courage...and it was time she used it.


	50. Chapter 49: Marcus

**Chapter 49**

**Marcus**

Somehow, despite the savage, powerful blow, Bolt managed to stay conscious, although his vision faded completely, every sense shutting down for a few seconds, leaving him aware of nothing but the pain in his jaw, where he had been struck.

The first Bolt was aware of after the blow was a voice, sounding distant and distorted in his semi-consciousness. "How did you survive, dog? You should be dead!"

But Bolt ignored the voice, instead focusing on his powers, heavily diminished with recent use, attempting to use them in some way to help assist in pulling himself out of his daze. It took every remaining piece of his power, but he finally brought himself out of his semi-conscious daze, and returned to the world around him once more. He found himself lying on the floor, next to the guard he had knocked unconscious mere seconds ago, and could also see the shadow of someone else standing over him. He turned his head to look, wincing as the pain in his jaw flared angrily, and stopped as he saw the man that had attacked him.

It was the dark-skinned, tattooed man from Highton...Marcus. He was wearing the same black business suit as all of Calico's high-ups, and in his hands he held what appeared to be a length of metal pipe. The face of Calico's second-in-command was locked in a fierce snarl, but behind it Bolt registered a sense of shock...the man obviously had not expected Bolt here.

_But why? _Bolt though as he slowly tried to get to his feet, still dazed despite his powers taking away some of the pain and confusion. Bolt had, somehow, set the alarms off, so why was Marcus so surprised to see him here?

In the end, it was Marcus himself who provided the answer. "First, Calico says that that stupid traitor has attacked the facility, and now you rise from the dead to harass us again!" But before Bolt could understand the full meaning of Marcus' words, the pipe in his hands came to life, Marcus launching another vicious swing at Bolt, the intent obvious.

But Bolt, still dazed from the first blow, simply did not have his old reflexes about him. He saw the blow coming, but by then it was far too late. All he could do was quickly throw what little power he had left into protecting himself from the blow, and hoping it did not hurt too much. The pipe connected solidly straight into Bolt's mark, the force of the blow sending him cartwheeling down the hallway, where he collapsed to the floor, his vision darkening at the edges as his powers slowly started to fade, and slip from his mental grasp.

"But I guess it doesn't matter any more," Marcus continued his musing, seemingly talking to himself as he beat Bolt to a pulp, as if this was something he did every day. Bolt realised, with a nasty feeling of dread, that the man probably did do this every day; beat Calico's enemies until their broken bodies lay dead at his feet. "In the end, both you, and Bruce will die in vain, and your precious Penny will soon suffer the same fate, once Richard has told us what we need to know!" Laughing manically, Marcus slowly strode towards Bolt once more, the pipe raised for another swing.

Bolt desperately tried to get to his feet, but the two blows he had suffered had left him dizzy, confused, and barely able to hold on to his powers. He was having difficulty just figuring out where Marcus was coming from. In the end, as Bolt finally got his feet under him, and was moments from getting back up, he felt the pipe slam into his soft, unprotected stomach, and with a howl of agony, he was once again thrown aside like he weighed nothing. Dimly, he registered slamming into, and then clean through, a wall, coming to rest amongst crumbling pieces of wood and plaster, knowing his fight was already over. He had tried to protect himself from the last blow, and in doing so, had saved himself from losing consciousness...just. But as he lay amongst the rubble, he felt the last of his power finally fade away, and with it, any hope of putting up any more fight.

"It's just unlucky for you that I never carry a gun, otherwise you might have been able to enjoy a quick and painless death." Marcus' voice was once again distant as Bolt struggled with his failing senses, desperately trying to keep conscious. If he faded away now, he was dead. "Now, I can have some fun before I kill you!"

Bolt realised that the voice was getting closer, and that Marcus must be right on top of him. Desperately, what little vision he had swimming, he tried once more to get to feet, to do something to either protect himself or fight back, but his strength was gone. Expecting another solid beating from the pipe Marcus wielded, Bolt was slightly surprised when he felt Marcus pick him up instead, but his surprise quickly turned to yet more pain as Marcus hurled him across whatever room he was in, causing him to smash through yet another wall. The only thing Bolt was aware of as he once more collapsed to the floor, was that ground had changed from the soft, plush carpets of the hallways he had travelled through to hard, cold tiling. Desperately fighting his semi-consciousness, he at last managed to get his eyes working again, and noticed that the room he had been sent crashing through was some sort of office, and that he had ended up back in the reception room he had arrived in when he first entered the building. Slowly pulling himself further back towards complete consciousness, Bolt also felt something warm and sticky, coating his right flank, including his foreleg, and realised that he was bleeding. Marcus was completely dominating him...and he had no way of fighting back. The man was obviously a powerful fighter, and without his powers, what was a simple White Shepherd like him going to do against that sort of raw, brute strength?

Once again, even though Bolt had been fighting to regain his senses, he gave no resistance when Marcus once again arrived at his side, picking him up roughly. He had no strength left, since every ounce of it was currently being devoted to keeping himself aware his surroundings. He needed a miracle...and he knew it.

Apparently, so did Marcus. "You are weak, dog, and you are beyond saving. Your precious girl and her father are stuck in the cavern below! There is no-one to save you!"

But Bolt's mind lurched at the triumphant rant. _The cavern below?_ his mind echoed. Penny was being held in some cavern below this facility! She was close...too close. He was not going to get so close to her, only to be defeated by this man! In his desperation Bolt felt a new strength begin to course through him, bringing him back to full consciousness, full awareness. His powers may still be lost to him, but now he had his fighting spirit back.

But Marcus seemed to realise that something was amiss, and wasted no time in throwing Bolt once again, sending him back the way the two of them had come. But now Bolt was ready, and as he flew through the hole in the wall, back into the office, he twisted himself in mid-air, righting himself just as he hit the ground, staggering but managing to stay on his feet. Finally ready, he turned back to Marcus, growling savagely. He knew that he had vowed to avoid killing at all costs, but he could also tell that Marcus was savage, cruel and evil. As long as the massive man still breathed, he would try and kill not just Bolt, but Penny and Richard, too. Bolt realised that if he did not kill Marcus, the man would kill him.

Marcus, for his part, laughed in the face of Bolt's new vitality. "So you do have some fight in you after all! Good! For a moment I thought you weren't going to present any challenge!"

Spurred into action by Marcus' mocking words, Bolt blasted towards the man, teeth bared, ready to fight like he had never fought before. He charged, before bounding slightly into the air, in preparation for a massive leap that would allow him to sink his teeth into Marcus' grinning, triumphant face, and wipe the smile from it once and for all. Marcus simply widened his smile at Bolt's predictability, and let the dog come to him.

But Bolt's move was a feint, and instead of leaping high into the air, he ducked low, sliding along the tiled floor of the reception area, his paws lashing out, pulling the man's feet out from under him. But once again, the big man's reflexes surprised Bolt, and although his paws did catch the man's legs, he did not fall, but merely stumbled slightly, before turning around, his smile fading as he finally decided it was time to stop toying.

Bolt yelped as Marcus' kick hit home, sending him skidding far along the floor, thumping softly into a wall as he quickly pulled himself to his feet, slightly fearful now. Marcus was proving to be beyond Bolt's capabilities...he needed his powers back, and he needed them now. He quickly checked them, seeing if they had recovered at all during the short skirmish. He found his powers lingering in the dark corner of his mind they occupied, but they were still exceptionally feeble. He needed more time.

But Bolt suddenly felt Marcus' hands close around his throat, and he realised that, distracted as he had checked for his powers, he had let Marcus get to him. Cursing his own stupidity, he struggled desperately against Marcus' grip, but the man was simply too strong, too powerful. Any attempts by Bolt to find some way out of this predicament were torn from his mind as he felt Marcus squeeze, crushing his throat, choking him.

Marcus laughed once more as Bolt struggled desperately to escape his grip, only succeeding in draining his rapidly depleting oxygen supply. "Too bad, you filthy mutt! You're done, finished! And this time, you will die...I'll make sure of it with my own two hands!"

And Bolt, his struggles becoming more and more feeble as his energy, and consciousness, once again faded, realised that Marcus was right. With no powers to save himself, and his own physical strength no match for Marcus' brutality, he realised that he was finished. And in the end, Bolt could only wait for the end as he stared up at the sky. _Why? _he silently pleaded of no-one in particular. _Why do I have to die now, so close to saving her?_

In the end, the two of them were so focused on their own little world, that neither of them noticed the third one until it was far too late. With startling suddenness and speed, a dark bur shot through the shattered glass door Bolt had smashed earlier, aiming straight at Marcus and Bolt, completely engrossed in their mismatched fight.

Bolt never even knew the new presence was there until he felt something hit Marcus...hard. The man was knocked off his feet, more because of the unexpected nature of the attack than the strength of the attacker itself. Startled by the act of defiance, the man let go of Bolt, who collapsed to the ground, coughing and gagging, desperately trying to draw breath and recover from the vicious choke hold Marcus had held him in just seconds ago. Realising he had just been saved, Bolt looked up as soon as he had recovered, trying to understand exactly what had happened.

When he saw who had saved him, he froze.

There, in the middle of the reception lobby, facing Marcus off, a determined look spread across her face, was Mittens!

Bolt finally recovered from the unexpected arrival. "Mittens, what are you doing?!"

"Bolt, go, run! Find Penny!" Mittens snapped back, never taking her eyes off Marcus, who was getting to his feet, still a little stunned by the sudden intervention of the lean, black cat.

But Bolt had dropped all thoughts of Penny. He knew, first-hand, the kind of skill Marcus had in fighting. Mittens may have been a former assassin of Calico's, but even she had no chance against the man she was now locked in a stand-off against. He had to intervene, but how? Letting his instincts guide him, Bolt charged towards Marcus once more, hoping a lightning-fast strike at the man while he was still down might tip the scales back in their favour.

But Bolt did not give Marcus' fighting skills enough credit. In the end, all his head-long charge gave Bolt was Marcus' clenched fist straight to his side, sending him flying, losing all awareness of where he was as he tumbled away from the fight, Mittens calling after him desperately.

Shaking himself off quickly, all thought of his own pain and harm gone knowing Mittens was in danger, risking herself for him, Bolt jumped back to his feet almost instantly, finding himself back in that office he had been hurled through once more. He turned back to the hole in the wall he had created when Marcus had thrown him into the reception lobby, thinking of returning to the fight. Instead, he was forced to watch in horror as Mittens latched onto Marcus' head, digging her claws in as hard as she could. Marcus struggled with her, swinging his head in all directions in a desperate attempt to remove the bundle of fur from his head, roaring in frustration.

"Bolt...go!" Mittens cried as she continued to cling to Marcus. "I'll...hold him off...just go!"

But Bolt did not run. Mittens had just saved his life, although he had no idea how she got here. All he knew was that he could not leave her at Marcus' mercy, not after having just been a victim of it himself. He looked around the room, looking for anything, absolutely anything, that he could use as a weapon, knowing that he did not have the strength necessary himself to take the bulky man down. His eyes eventually found the steel pipe he had been so thoroughly bashed with, which Marcus had obviously discarded when he had decided to throw the dog around instead.

But just as Bolt made to seize the pipe, he heard of loud screech behind him, and turned around. Marcus had finally gotten hold of Mittens, tearing her from his head, leaving long gazes in his scalp. Roaring with the stinging pain Bolt knew he must be feeling, Marcus then hurled Mittens across the room, the little cat crashing hard into a wall and then lolling lifelessly to the ground, her body remaining still long after she came to rest.

"Mittens!" Bolt immediately started towards her, his first thought to make sure that she was alright, but stopped himself as he saw Marcus reach into a desk in the room, pulling out a small, glistening knife. The intention was obvious...he was going to slice her open there and then, and then come after him! His first instinct at that point was to charge Marcus once again, to stop him before he could reach her, but again he was forced to stop himself. He had no way of stopping Marcus in this, powerless state, all he would do was...

His powers! A quick check confirmed to Bolt, that, with the fight having dragged on longer than both Bolt and Marcus had anticipated, his powers had recovered enough for him to do something...but not much. He'd have one chance, possibly two if he did something small, but what could possibly work?

It took him two seconds to figure it out; the pipe! Launching into action, Bolt darted back, grabbing the pipe in his teeth and turning around, intending and throwing the massive piece of metal at its former owner. But he stopped once more. Marcus was now directly over Mittens, his knife poised over her. He appeared to be savouring his final victory over the cat, possibly recognising her as one of their former workers and using the moment to gloat about her betrayal. If Bolt threw the pipe now, there was a chance that, even if he hit Marcus, that the knife might still hit home when the evil man dropped...and Bolt simply would not allow that. If he wanted to hurt Marcus, he needed to get the knife away from Mittens first.

A plan now solidly formed in his mind, Bolt now search for something, anything, that he could use to attract Marcus' attention. In the end, he settled on a small cardboard box, lying in the corner of the office. Knowing that he had mere seconds before Marcus decided to end his gloating, and also end Mittens' life, Bolt grabbed it and, without stopping to look, threw it, using his powers to assist both the power and accuracy of the throw.

Bolt never intended to harm Marcus with the box, merely distract him, and cause him to move the knife away from Mittens. In the end, it worked beautifully. The box sailed through the air, passing clean through the hole in the wall, and struck Marcus square in the side of the head. The fragile cardboard tore apart on impact, ripping itself open and sending small, pale objects sailing across the room, drifting around like snow. Marcus, who had not been expecting the sudden impact against his left ear, jerked away from it instinctively, his knife hand moving away from Mittens as he looked up, his face locked in an agitated frown as he tried to figure out exactly what had happened. His eyes flashed quickly to the hole in the wall, where he had last seen Bolt...just in time to see the metal pipe heading straight for him!

After Bolt had thrown the box, he had moved straight away, sending the pipe on its way straight afterwards, knowing that Marcus would not let the setback distract him for more than a couple of moments. But even he could not foresee what would have happened next. If he had, Bolt might not have done it.

The pipe, which Bolt had thrown with every last drop of power he had left, sailed across the room at a terrifying speed, spinning rapidly as it covered the distance between dog and human in the blink of an eye. Marcus had only time to register its presence, and see where it was going, his eyes bulging in a sudden appearance of pure fear...the fear of a man who knows he's going to die, before the pipe struck.

The pipe hit Marcus square in the chest, tip-first, and the power behind Bolt's throw caused it to simply keep going as if Marcus' body did not exist, spearing clean through him, before finally being forced to a stop, the tip sticking out from between his shoulder blades. Marcus staggered back from the impact, but somehow remained standing as life poured from him as fast as blood poured from the wounds in his torso. He only had time to look down at the wound, the dim realisation of what had happened dawning on his face, before the last of his life finally left him, and he crumpled to the floor, his eyes going blank as he died, his evil mind silenced at last, no longer able to assist Calico in his scheming plans for global terror.


	51. Chapter 50: Friends to the End

**Chapter 50**

**Friends to the End**

Bolt stood there, panting heavily, his powers retreating from him once more, as he watched Marcus' body, not daring to move for fear that man might get back up, even with the pipe piercing his heart. Bolt had seen, first hand, what the man was capable of, and as such, rising from the dead did not seem like such a fanciful thought in the heat of the moment. But once Bolt was certain that the man was well and truly dead, and not getting back up, he then remembered Mittens. Crying out as he saw her still form, still slumped where Marcus had thrown her, he bounded forward, through the mess of wood, plaster, and the strange objects that cardboard box had been full of, which Bolt noticed as he dashed through them, were nothing more than styrofoam peanuts, although these ones were coloured a strange, bright aqua, seeming to almost glow. But Bolt did not think anything of the insignificant pieces of foam as he rushed to Mittens' side, hoping against all hope that she was okay.

"Mittens!" Bolt crouched down by her side, rolling her over so that she was facing him. "Come on, Mittens, wake up! Wake up!" He looked into her face, noticing that her eyes were closed, and her body was completely still. "Please, no...Mittens, don't be dead...don't be dead..." His voice trailed off as he choked on the words, struggling to come to terms with what was a very real possibility. She could not have sacrificed herself for him, Bolt could not let that happen. After everything he had done, all the effort he had made to change his ways, and the lengths he had gone to to protect her, he was still going to have her life on his conscience, her memories to forever haunt him while he -

His train of thought came crashing to a halt as he saw Mittens' body move. It was nothing more than a tiny rise and fall of her chest, nothing more than a whisper of a breath, but it was enough. Mittens was alive! Relief flooded Bolt as he nudged the skinny cat, hoping the contact, and subsequent movement, might help revitalise her a little. He could not find sense in his own actions, but it was better than standing over her doing nothing. "That's it, Mittens. Come on, wake up...you're okay."

Within seconds, Mittens was groaning groggily as she slowly returned to consciousness, slowly opening her eyes and looking around, jumping back and yelling in fright when she saw Bolt's face, right in front of her. Bolt was similarly startled and jumped back.

"What are you doing, you crazy mutt?" Mittens yelled, although she slurred her words faintly, still rather dazed by Marcus' throw. "Don't scare me like that!"

Bolt was a little put off by Mittens' angry reaction. "What do you mean? For all I knew you were dead...for a moment there I thought you actually were dead! And why did you come after me? I left you behind for a reason!"

"What, so you could go in here alone and get yourself killed? I wasn't gonna let that happen, thank you very much!"

Bolt was about to throw another snappy, angry remark back at her, but realised it was pointless. They were only arguing because of the shock of coming so close to death, and the last reserves of adrenaline still running through them. Breathing deeply, Bolt forced himself to calm down, to relax, and forced the adrenaline aside. The battle was over, and Marcus was dead. The two of them would be safe...for now, at least. Finally, when he had calmed himself down, Bolt spoke again. "Look, Mittens, I appreciate everything you've done for me, and I thank you for saving my life just now, but you simply don't understand. Too many have already died around me, Mittens...I won't let you or Mindy be the next ones to die for me and Penny. I just...I've caused too much death already, please don't make me risk more lives...please."

Mittens seemed rather stunned by Bolt's pleas, and as such, took some time in answering. "Bolt, I know you're just trying to look out for me and Mud, but you have to understand what friendship - true friendship - is about: It's about looking out for each other, for helping each other when the times comes. That means that we, as friends, stay together...always, no matter what the situation, no matter how dangerous or deadly things become. We look out for each other, Bolt, no matter what."

Bolt stared at the little cat, stunned. He did not quite believe it, that friendship was all about facing dangers together...as one. He still felt like he would be betraying Mittens if he let her stay with him as he ventured further into Calico's stronghold. It just didn't feel right that more lives should be put on the line...particularly since Mittens really had no part in Bolt's mission to recover Penny.

In the end, Bolt decided to use that fact for one last go at getting Mittens to leave. "Mittens, we may be friends, but where I'm going is excessively dangerous. I'd feel much better knowing you were somewhere safe. And besides, Penny is my responsibility, you have nothing to do with this. This is not your war to fight."

"And that," Mittens replied instantly, "is exactly what friendship is meant to be all about. You're right, this is not my fight, I am completely within rights to turn and leave...but I can't do that. Because, Bolt...I like you. I trust you, and I respect you...and I am not going to let face Calico alone. Besides..." her eyes narrowed, her face hardening. "...I've been meaning to get back at Calico for betraying and deceiving me like that, and this is as good a way as any!"

Bolt could not help but smile at Mittens' desire for vengeance, especially since the way she had said it suggested that, like Bolt, she had no intention of killing Calico mercilessly, of becoming him in her quest for vengeance. _The only difference between us,_ Bolt thought, _is that she's a cat, and I have powers._ And with that, he finally gave in. Mittens was willing to accompany Bolt into the last few perils Calico would no doubt have set up, and in the end, that was enough for him.

"Alright, Mittens," he finally said, sighing. "I still don't like it much, but if you really want to come, then you can."

Mittens smiled at him. "Hey, I didn't say you had to like it...I don't like it, either...but I'm not gonna convince you to leave, at least not without your person, so I'll at least help you any way I can. Now," she looked around, as if expecting to see someone else. "Let's go find Mud and get...Bolt, what's wrong?" she changed tack when she saw Bolt's face darken at the mention of Mindy. Her voice became slow and cautious as fear crept into it. "Where's Mud?"

"She..." Bolt struggled with the tirade of powerful memories, forcing them aside, forcing himself to speak; Mittens deserved to know. "She didn't come, Mittens. I tried to convince her to stay behind, like you, and she...she accused me of using her, and left." Bolt finally stopped, unable to say any more. Mindy had been a great friend, and the circumstances of their separation pained him like the physical wounds he was now carrying.

Mittens just stared at him blankly. "'Using her'?" she repeated. "What did she mean by that?"

"I don't know," Bolt said quickly, not wanting to talk about Mindy any more. "And it doesn't matter, anyway. She's gone to Los Angeles, and she's not coming back. Let's just move on."

Mittens stared at him for a few more seconds...but then she seemed to come to the realisation that Bolt wanted to avoid the subject, and as such let it go. "Alright! Now, the trouble is finding out where Calico and Penny are hiding. They could be anywhere..."

"Marcus mentioned something bout a cavern, below this facility." Bolt interrupted hastily. "He said that's where Penny was being held!"

Mittens' eyes widened. "Of course! The river...come on, I know where to go!" With that, she made to take off, but stopped once more, staring at Bolt's right foreleg. "Wait...you're bleeding!"

Bolt looked back, noticing, for the first time since the fight with Marcus, the blood on his right side. But the wound that was leaking the blood was small, and had already been sealed. The blood coating his foreleg made it look worse than it was. "It's fine," he said vaguely. "Let's just find Penny, we can't afford to waste any more time!"

With that, the two of them took off, Bolt following Mittens as they tore through the destroyed reception area, small styrofoam peanuts clinging to their bodies as they made their way through various hallways, Mittens obviously searching for something. But she seemed to know where she was going, so Bolt left her alone, fighting to keep his curiosity in check. _She's worked for Calico before...she knows this place, _he constantly reminded himself every time he felt lost or disoriented, which was very frequently. All he could do was trust Mittens, and hope that things went well.

In the end, his trust was well-placed. After a few minutes darting through various corridors, Mittens finally came across her destination; a lift. Bolt looked at her curiously. "We passed several of these elevators before...why this one?"

"Because only a couple of them head all the way down to the cavern," Mittens replied. "This is one of them."

Turning back away from Bolt, she then proceeded to jump up and tap the call button, Bolt soon hearing the muffled whirring as the life made its way to them. Within seconds the doors pinged and opened, Bolt and Mittens jumping inside, before Mittens pressed the lowest button, which Bolt noticed was marked; 'Authorised Personnel Only'. _So this cavern was only for certain people to access?_ he wondered. Then what, exactly, did Calico have hidden down there?

But Bolt could not think on it any more. He had to focus...this was it, this was everything he had fought, bled, and killed for. He had, at long last, found Penny. But what now? He had no idea how he was going to go about rescuing her. with no knowledge of the what was in this cavern, he had no idea what he was up against.

Mittens seemed to be thinking along the same lines. "Bolt...when we get down there, you do have a plan, don't you?"

Bolt smiled weakly at her. "Of course. Stop Calico, rescue Penny and Richard, and get out of here before Calico can bring his army of soldiers down on us!"

Mittens frowned at him, her tone remaining deadly serious. "I was hoping for something a little more detailed."

"So was I," Bolt confessed. "But I've got nothing. I'll just have to do what I always do, make things up as I go along. Besides, my powers should have recovered a bit since the fight with Marcus. Whatever Calico's got waiting for me down there, they should be able to handle it easily enough."

Mittens shrugged, seeming to believe that Bolt's confidence was well-founded. "Just remember, I'm here, too. And I'll help you out any way I can."

Bolt turned around as the life continued down. "Mittens, before anything else happens, just know - "

"Oh, would you shut up about trying to protect me. We're here, going down to the cavern! You can't stop this lift. We're in this together, whether you like it or not!"

Bolt leaned away from Mittens, startled by the outburst. "Let me finish!" he scolded mockingly. "I was going to say that, I just want you to know that I appreciate you helping me. Thank you, Mittens...and just know that, no matter what happens, I won't forget this."

Mittens seemed a little taken aback by Bolt sudden sentimentality. "I'm touched, pooch. But we're friends, like I said. And _true _friends stay together, to the end, no matter what."

Bolt turned back to the lift doors as he felt the lift slow down. They had finally reached the cavern. "Then let's face that end, and show Calico what happens to those who threaten my person...and the world!"

And as he finished speaking, the lift pinged faintly, and the doors parted, Bolt and Mittens finally reaching the cavern, their final destination.


	52. Chapter 51: The Power of Styrofoam

**Chapter 51**

**The Power of Styrofoam**

Bolt froze, staring at the scene in wonder.

The cavern was absolutely massive, easily taking up at least half of the space the facility covered back above ground. A wide, swift underground river flowed through it, essentially slicing the cavern in half, Bolt and Mittens against the far wall of one half, facing the river. The floor was made of metal, and computer consoles and various pieces of machinery were everywhere. It was obvious from a glance, that this was Calico's central facility. This one cavern was the grand centre of his massive company...and his schemes for world domination. The only thing natural about this cavern was the river itself, and the walls and the roof, which was solid rock, although even that was supported with steel support struts, reinforcing it to make sure that the massive facility above it did not come crashing down into this important cavern. All in all, Bolt could tell that this place was central to everything Calico was planning...if he could find a way of causing some damage, of -

"BOLT?!"

Bolt's head snapped around at the voice...the voice he had not heard for several days...although to him it felt like an eternity. "Penny?!" Then he saw her. She was sitting in a small steel cage, that was suspended, via a pulley of some kind, over a small, sealed-off section of the river. It was obvious to Bolt what the cage was for...drowning Penny. "No...hang on, Penny!" But as he made to rush towards Penny, a voice made him stop before he had even taken two steps.

"Get...that...DOG!"

Again, Bolt's head whipped around, this time focusing on a small console near Penny's cage, which the other end of the pulley was attached to...obviously some sort of control mechanism for the cage. And there, standing in front of it, was Calico. His mismatched eyes burned with a vicious mix of disbelief, and uncontrollable fury, and he was pointing at Bolt defiantly.

At his command, the two guards, the only armed men present in the cavern, activated their electrified hands and, after a brief moment of hesitation, charged Bolt, arms outstretched, ready to fry him. Bolt shook his head. _This is almost too easy,_ he thought to himself as he stared down one of the two guards, who slowed. He had obviously heard of what Bolt was capable of, and was afraid of what was certainly going to come next. Bolt focused on the man's leg as he drew on his powers, knowing that the man would be taken out of action just by the simple act of blasting his leg, although there would be no permanent damage. Then Bolt focused harder and...

Bolt froze as he realised something was wrong. His powers had not responded to his call. Confused, he attempt to draw upon them again, and it was here, actually concentrating on his mind, that he found the problem. His powers were still there, and they were active, although still weak...but they were locked away, held back by some kind of mental barrier, something that had not been there before. "What?" he wondered aloud, completely forgetting about the two guards coming to get him. What had happened, why were his powers sealed away like that?

When he finally did remember the guards, and looked up, he was surprised to notice that they, too, had stopped, obviously confused by Bolt's complete lack of resistance. All three of them turned to face Calico, who was now laughing manically, never taking his eyes off Bolt the whole time.

"So, you've met my latest invention, have you, Bolt?" he said casually, mockingly, looking a little more closely at Bolt. "Hmm, yes, I see the styrofoam on you, even now!"

Bolt, immediately realising the importance of Calico's words, looked down at his own body. And sure enough, several of the styrofoam peanuts from the fight with Marcus still clung to his body, although now Bolt finally realised the significance of them...and their strange, aqua colouring; Calico had given the pieces of foam some strange property that caused them to seal away his powers, and leave him defenceless. Snapping into action, Bolt desperately swiped at his body with both teeth and claws, removing the styrofoam from his fur. But his desperate actions only seemed to make Calico laugh even harder.

"Ah, you stupid mutt! Getting rid of them now will not help you, the effect lasts several hours!" Calico screamed this last revelation in triumph, looking back at Penny to see her reaction, smiling even wider as the hope that had filled her mere seconds ago turned into pained despair. "And those will be several hours that I will enjoy to the fullest. Guards...get him!"

Bolt could only watch on in absolute helplessness as the guards once more approached Bolt, although now they moved slowly, watching for any sign of danger from the dog in front of them. It was only now that Bolt noticed the chair sitting in front of Penny's cage. But even though the chair had its back to Bolt, he could still see the wild shock of brown hair over the top of it, and knew instantly who it was...Richard.

So everyone was here...every goal he had strived to achieve was here, so close he could literally almost reach out and touch them. But now everything was undone, all his hard work and effort had been undone...by a box of styrofoam peanuts! He looked around desperately, looking for some way he could tackle the two guards, without getting in range of their nasty gloves. If one of those shocked him, it would be the end of him. Calico would have him prisoner, and together all of them would be resigned to slow, painful deaths.

But then Bolt saw a black shape move in front of him, and remembered Mittens. "Mittens, no! What are you doing?"

Mittens turned back to face Bolt as the guard stopped, hesitating at this latest piece of resistance. "You need to get your person back. Go, I'll hold these two off."

Bolt's eyes flashed to the guards as they started moving again. "Are you nuts?! You won't last two seconds!"

"Then I suggest you use those two seconds as best you can!" Mittens growled back, showing absolutely no sign of fear of hesitation at the prospect of facing those nasty, arcing bolts of electricity.

But bolt shook his head, coming up beside. He had vowed to be a better dog after his vision, and here, in the moment, he knew exactly what he had to do to be that dog. "No...if we face them, we face them together!"

Mittens looked like she was about to protest, to tell him to save Penny, but a single, determined look from him silenced her immediately. He was not going to argue about this. _We fight together...or not at all,_ he thought grimly as the guards continued to close in. Knowing he still had a few seconds, Bolt sneaked a glance over at where Calico, Penny and Richard were. He noticed that Calico was once more by the cage controls, and seemed to be demanding something from Richard, although Bolt was not listening intently enough to hear. He had to keep at least some focus on the guards, which he now turned his full attention on as they suddenly sprang, arms lunging forward as both animals darted backwards, taken off-guard by the sudden strike.

Fortunately, both of them managed to evade the first lunge, Mittens turning back and facing off against her attacker, teeth bared in a fierce snarl as she flicked her claws in and out. The assassin within her, the violent, merciless killing machine that Calico's demented cat, Hairballs, had created, was back, and now, Bolt knew, it was the guard that was a disadvantage.

But Bolt knew he did not have the same skills as Mittens when it came to straight-out fighting. He may have won his fair share of brawls over the past couple of weeks, but only because of his powers. Here, now, with only his own four paws and his teeth for weapons, Bolt knew he did not stand a chance. The guard lunged again, and once again Bolt dodged, the glowing arcs of electricity missing him by an inch. As he pranced around the guard, making no move to fight back, he stole glances at Mittens as she duelled with her guard, and smiled as he noticed that she was toying with the suited man. On one such moment, Bolt felt a thrill of fear for the cat as the man lunged at her in such a way that it seemed impossible for him to miss. But Mittens, it seemed, had planned for this, had wanted the man to lunge in that way, for she deftly swerved around the outstretched hands, moving with a speed and agility that surprised Bolt, before using his arms as a springboard, and leaping onto the man's head. The man, reacting instinctively, swiped a hand at Mittens, but she had already leapt off the man's head, well clear of the hand. In the end, the electrified hand, connected with the guard's own helmet, the result being that the man electrocuted himself, jolting violently and crying out once before simply collapsing like a sack of potatoes, crumpling to the the ground, out cold.

Bolt smiled at Mittens as she stood over her fallen enemy, but she did not return the sentiment, her eyes going wide. "Bolt, look out!"

Bolt turned to look behind himself, realising his stupid mistake. He had been so focused on Mittens' fight that he'd forgotten about his own. But even as he focused back on the man attacking him, he knew it was over. He had broken his concentration for a moment too long, and now the man was almost upon him, electrified arms outstretched, with no time for Bolt to dodge in any way. He was simply too big, and his agility was no where near the skill Mittens had.

But even as, in that last split-second, the man reached out for Bolt, the dog noticed some other movement out of the corner of his eye. It took him an instant to register that it was another of Calico's men, in that full-body suit, standing on the other side of the cavern, way out past the river. He was looking straight at Bolt, and was raising a pistol. And in that moment, time slowed for Bolt. Even if he had a way of evading the guard coming at him, it would be no use, because the other one would shoot him down anyway. And as such, Bolt did the only thing that he could possibly do...he closed his eyes, and waited. He was beyond fearing death, after everything he had seen and done. He had long ago accepted the prospect that he would die...but he was still left with a lingering frustration that he had failed. He had actually found Penny, after all this time, only to be killed before he could rescue her. Internally, he seethed at the unfairness of it all, but externally, he remained still, just waiting for the end, waiting for...

_Bang!_

Bolt barely registered the gunshot going off, because in the very next instant, the guard's hand finally reached Bolt, and all Bolt knew was the searing, agonising pain blasting through his entire body. His muscles spasmed involuntarily as the electricity flowed through him violently, but, strangely, it was over in a fraction of a second, although to Bolt it felt like a minute. The hands released Bolt almost the instant they touched him, and with the loss of contact, the shocking pain also vanished, leaving Bolt lying on the ground, whimpering with the last remnants of pain, and having absolutely no idea what had just happened.

The first thing he knew after the shock ended was Mittens' paw on his side. "Bolt? Bolt! Talk to me, are you okay?" her voice was anxious and fearful, for she had seen the effects the other guard had suffered, and feared that Bolt had gone through a similar torment.

Still whimpering quietly, the pain still lingering, Bolt slowly came back to his senses, and rolled himself onto his belly. "Yeah, I'm...I think I'm okay," he finally replied uncertainly. "What happened?"

Mittens' eyes moved from Bolt, to the guard that had grabbed. "I don't know."

Bolt followed her gaze, and was stunned when he saw the guard, lying on the floor, no sign of movement at all. As Bolt looked more closely, he saw that there was a tiny hole in the man's suit, right where his heart was. He had been shot, and killed.

_But how...?_ It took Bolt a second to remember the man at the other end of the room, and spun quickly, expecting another gunshot to ring out as the man resolved to amend his mistake, but instead Bolt saw that the man actually lowered the pistol, and was now staring at Calico, who was also watching the man, a confused expression on his face.

"What are you doing?" Calico demanded of the man, who remained still, as Penny and Richard also turned their attention on him, the entire room now focused on this one man. "What are you waiting for? Kill the miserable mutt!"

And then, for the first time, the man spoke, his voice slightly muffled by the helmet. But the powerful voice still resonated loudly through the cavern. "I am only here for one, Calico...and it is not the dog!"

Bolt froze. The voice was familiar, he knew the man! But where...?

And then the man holstered the pistol, and reached up to his helmet, removing it swiftly. In that moment, both Bolt and Penny cried out in surprise, Calico only responding with a furious: "YOU!"

For there, in the cavern, was the man that had defected from Calico's evil ways, and had saved Bolt when he had been shot in Pentland Beach. There, standing before them...was Bruce.


	53. Chapter 52: Betrayals

**Chapter 52**

**Betrayals**

Bolt stared at the scene, completely bewildered. Just when he thought things were crowded enough, Bruce had come along!

It took Bolt several moments to remember that, when Marcus had picked a fight with him, he had been surprised to see Bolt, despite the alarm...someone else had triggered it when they had made their own invasion. And now, Bolt realised that it had been Bruce that Marcus was originally after. He was the one that had set off the alarms, and drawn the attention of all the guards.

Bolt shook his head at the suddenness of it all. Here, standing before him, protecting him, was a man who - not long ago - had been working for Calico, who had tried to kill him and Penny, and who Penny had insisted on sparing. And now Bolt saw, here before him, the real reason merciless killing was wrong. Not only was it ridiculously evil and wrong to willingly take someone else's life, but, in sparing someone's life, even if they rightly deserved death, led to moments like this, where the person in question would repay you for your moment of mercy and kindness, come and save you from a similar fate. That was what Bruce was doing, and Bolt could not help but smile as the heavily-built man now drew his pistol once more, this time turning it towards Calico.

Bolt's surprise became absolute disbelief as Calico barely seemed to react to the lethal weapon now pointed at him. Much to the contrary, he actually smiled at Bruce, moving slowly away from the console, pacing around as he continued to watch the man, the both of them locked in a strange, one-sided stand-off.

"What are you doing here, Bruce?" Calico asked, his tone completely calm and casual, which only enhanced Bolt's bewilderment. _Something's not right,_ he slowly realised. _Calico's up to something._

Bruce kept his gun trained on Calico, but, for some reason, did not fire. It seemed he was as curious as Bolt was to learn the truth of Calico's calmness. "Let the girl go, Calico...it's over!"

"Over?" Calico seemed surprised by Bruce's conviction. "Bruce, it is far from over! Why, it has barely just begun! Why do you side with these fools, these blind patriots, so determined to stop me...stop us...from doing what the world needs!"

Bruce looked a Calico strangely, but did not loosen his grip on the gun. "You're insane, Calico...you know that?"

"As I've heard many times before," Calico replied, paying no attention to the insult, "there is a thin line between insanity and genius. Am I insane, Bruce? Am I really? Or I am the one, lone man who is doing what's right? The world is a ruin, Bruce! Greed and corruption rule our world, and - "

"As it rules yours, too!"

Everyone turned for a moment, staring at Penny, astounded that, even as a captive, she remained defiant. There was simply no dampening her spirit, her fire to stop Calico's madness...even if it meant her life. "You don't seek to overthrow the world for the world's sake! You seek to overthrow it to satisfy your own greed and need for power! You say you'll bring the world to a golden age...but you'll bring it all to ruin, instead! And that, Calico, is why we oppose you...because, unlike you, there are other thing we value besides our own selfish desires!"

Her words were bold, designed to infuriate Calico, into distracting him into doing, or saying, something foolish, something which would turn Bruce completely, and give him the inner will necessary to pull the trigger. But as Bolt stared at the scene in astounded wonder, he saw something that no-one else had. Calico was pacing once more, only now he had stopped, and was crouching, picking something up off the ground...

And before Bolt could do anything, even cry out a futile warning, Calico snapped upright once more, a discarded pistol in his hands, the barrel swinging around, Bruce's own gun coming up just as fast, the two of them squaring off in a split-second, each desperately trying to...

_Ba-Bang!_

The twin gunshot seemed deafening to Bolt's ears as he yelped in shock and jumped back, cringing away, Mittens making a similar movement beside him. When Bolt looked up, he felt his whole body sag with sadness. Both weapons may have gotten a shot off, but only one had found it's mark.

Calico stood there, smiling triumphantly as Bruce dropped his weapon, clutching feebly at the wound in his chest. He looked weakly up at Calico, his eyes glittering faintly with a new-found malice, before they lost focus, and the man that had so recently saved Bolt, and bought them all a little more time, collapsed face-first onto the ground without a sound, and moved no more.

Bolt remained where he was, frozen in place by the cruel suddenness of it all. Calico had killed a man that had once been completely loyal to him...and he had killed him without hesitation, or any sense of remorse. He may have defected, but the calm nature in which Calico had dispatched him chilled him to the core. He realised that it did not matter what Calico suggested about the fine line between insanity and genius...Bolt knew exactly on which side of that line Calico stood...there was simply no denying it. The man had long since lost his mind, and now - by the snarl on his face - his patience had also run out. Bolt realised that, if Penny and Richard were to have any chance of surviving...now was the time.

But as he took the first step forward, determined to act while Calico was still distracted, savouring his triumph, a voice rang out smoothly from the shadows somewhere behind and above Bolt. "Move, and you'll be the first to die!"

Bolt instantly stopped, but his curiosity, and sense of danger, forced him to at least turn his head, to see who exactly was threatening him in this...what new presence was subjecting him to yet another dismal failure. In the end, all he saw was two, green eyes, with vertical slits that narrowed as the vague shadow of a figure around the eyes moved, the creature speaking again.

"You moved," it said softly, menacingly.

Bolt watch, a funny feeling inside him, as the eyes stared at him more intently, the eyes seeming to shift vaguely behind the green depths, which began to emit a strange, eerie glow. _What in...?_ Bolt question faded from his mind as, with a terrifying sense of dread, he realised what was going to happen next. With a startled, desperate cry, he leapt aside...and not a moment too soon.

The moment Bolt moved, twin beams of light blasted from the disembodied eyes above him, grazing his leg as he darted aside, singeing a patch of fur before hurtling on, blasting into the steel floor. When the beams finally subsided, there were two deep, thin, red-hot holes in the floor where the laser-like beams had cut into the steel as if it were butter. But Bolt had no time to register this, as the dark presence chuckled, a low evil chuckle that actually sent shivers up Bolt's spine. Whoever - or whatever - this creature was, it was supremely confident, despite Bolt's impressive display of reflexes.

"Very good!" the presence drawled, in the same smooth tone as before. "It seems that, even without your powers, you still have some of your wits about you. That's good...I like a challenge!"

Bolt decided to fight fire with fire, and attack the creature's own calm confidence with his own. "The last creature that said those words to me ended up in a bad way," he said, allowing a slight smile to cross his face at Marcus' foul, though deserved, end. "If you want to follow in his footsteps, by all means continue in your confidence!"

"Ah, but you see, my confidence is well-placed!" the creature retorted, in no way unnerved by Bolt's calm manner. "For I have powers...and you do not!" Bolt's smile, along with his confidence, faded. He hated to admit it, even to himself, but the creature was right. Without his powers, and going up against an adversary that obviously had inherited them, he had next to no chance.

But before Bolt could do anything, Mittens broke the conversation. "Who are you?" she demanded, causing Bolt to look at her. It was obvious, from her tone, that she recognised something about this creature. Whatever it was, she had met it before.

The two green eyes now turned of the gangly, black cat next to Bolt. "Why, Mittens...don't you recognise my voice?" And with that, the vague creature jumped down from its elevated hiding spot, moving into the light at long last, revealing itself.

Both Bolt and Mittens took a step back, recognition dawning on both their faces. Bolt may not have met the creature before, at least not close up, but Mittens had described him well enough for him the realise who it was.

It was a black cat, almost like a male version of Mittens, except that, while thin, he was not gangly and malnourished. Bolt could see small but strong muscles rippling beneath the layer of pure black fur. This cat may be small, but he was definitely strong. And the eyes, while green, again like Mittens, had a depth that had nothing to do with kindness or wisdom. These eyes were soulless, pitiless holes of greed and deception.

It was Calico's evil, mad cat...Hairballs.

"Welcome back, Mittens," Hairballs said, maintaining his smooth, confident tone, grinning at the shocked looks on both their faces. "It is good to see a familiar animal face around here, after all this time trying to get rid of this damn dog!"

Bolt looked from one cat to the other, completely bewildered. Hairballs was treating Mittens as a friend, almost as if she had never...

"Although I am surprised you haven't killed him yet," Hairballs continued. "You have had plenty of opportunity...yet you insisted on sending him to me...I'm rather touched."

Bolt froze as all the pieces came together, as he realised the subtle meaning under the evil cat's words. He rounded on Mittens, his face grief-striken. "Mittens? You..." his voice trailed off, but Mittens answered back anyway.

"He's lying," she said simply, her voice emotionless, her face devoid of any expression. Whatever was going on in her head, she was fighting hard to hide it. Was she hiding her new loyalty from Hairballs...or the horrible, terrible truth from him? She rounded on Hairballs. "I have not killed him because I am no longer working for you, or for Calico. I have found new friends, ones who actually respect me, and treat as something more that a tool to achieve certain goals." Bolt thought he detected a trace of pride in her voice, but once again, she was concealing it well, making it difficult to tell for certain.

"Come on, Mittens...you can drop the act. It's over, we've got him right where we want him. No more lies, no more mistakes! Now, we can kill him, together, and then no one will stand in the way of Calico's plan!"

"So you believe in Calico's mad scheme, then?" Bolt said, although he never took his eyes off Mittens. He was looking for some sign from her, some unconscious signal that would let him know which side she was on. Was she continuing to play her role as Bolt's ally because she truly believed in stopping Calico...or just so he would be trusting her at the moment his back was turned, when her claws would sink into his flesh, signalling the end? Until he knew for sure, he had to keep a close eye on her.

"His scheme is not mad! And I have my own to go with it! Calico thinks that his plan will bring peace to all humans, that he can create a perfect world for him and his useless race! Ha! Well, he does not realise what I have planned. And when humanity is at it's weakest, straight after Calico's takeover, then I will strike, and my followers will rise, and we animals will rise up, and take our rightful place as the rulers of this planet! Humans have ruled over us for far too long, and it's time to make them pay!" Hairballs was in the midst of a rant, seemingly ignoring bolt and Mittens, simply relishing in the image his mind was obvious conjuring of the world he so desperately and insanely craved.

Bolt snorted. Calico had traitors, even in his own midst, plotting against him, to use his plan to their own advantage. _Typical of evil nut cases,_ he thought savagely. "You're mad!" he finally declared, spitting the words out, putting as much insult in them as he could manage.

He was still watching Mittens, however, and he finally was given a reward for his careful observation. He noticed, in the cat's face, a unconscious, uncontrollable flicker of rage, all of it aimed at the mad cat in front of her. It was gone almost as soon as it arrived, the only reason Bolt had noticed it was because he was watching her so intently. Hairballs had not noticed it, and so continued to believe Mittens was pulling everyone's leg when she added her voice to Bolt's declaration.

"Mittens, I like my games, but this is - "

"I do...I believe you," a voice rang out from behind Bolt, back in the lift he and Mittens had taken down. The voice was startlingly familiar to him, and he realised who it belonged to, without having to look. But dread gripped him. If his suspicions were correct, than this voice was betraying him, and if it was who he thought it was, then such a betrayal would tear him apart. But he had to look...had to be sure. Slowly, fearing what he would see, he turned, his eyes slowly revolving around until he saw the lift, and it's occupant.

Bolt froze. He could almost feel his heart shearing itself in two as he stared at the scene. For there, in the lift, staring at Hairballs with a strange look in her eyes...was Mindy.


	54. Chapter 53: Cats and Dogs

**Chapter 53**

**Cats and Dogs**

Bolt stared at the scene. This was all becoming too much. Too much was happening, too fast. He just needed things to slow down for a second.

"Mindy, what are you doing here?" he finally asked.

Mindy looked at Bolt, but her face and voice showed no sign of their old friendship. "I'm sorry, Bolt...but it's time for me to take a side." Her voice sounded in no way apologetic as she stood on the threshold for a moment, before moving slowly out of the lift, shuffling to stand in front of Bolt...beside Hairballs.

Both Bolt and Mittens stared at her as she smiled down at at Hairballs, Bolt's heart finally tearing to shreds as the worst was confirmed. Mindy, who he had thought to be his closest companion and best friend since Penny's capture, was now siding against him. He could not believe it. This gentle, simple German Shepherd...was siding with Calico and Hairballs mad, destructive scheme? "Mindy," he finally choked, struggling to get the words past the lump in his throat. "Mindy...why?"

"Oh, don't sound so surprised," Mindy said harshly, her voice seeming to have found a new cold, hard edge since Bolt had last seen her. "Remember, Bolt...you betrayed me first! You used me, then abandoned me when I most wanted to be with you...when I wanted to protect you! But I guess, in the end, I have to thank you for that. Because I now know, thanks to you, that Zippy was in the right all along...and I in the wrong."

Bolt's confusion hit him yet again, and even through his pain of the sudden betrayal, he had to ask. "Zippy?"

This time it was Hairballs who laughed. "Yes, dog. That little, over-energetic Jack Russell has been working for Calico for months now. At first, he was simply out there to recruit more dogs to Calico's - and my - plans...and yes, Mud was one of those recruits, although she was...reluctant, to say the least. And then you came along!" Hairballs' voice was rising. "Zippy thought you were the ultimate catch...yes, dog, he recognised you, even through that layer of muck that covered your precious white fur."

"But I intervened," Mindy continued, "thinking you would be another of his potential recruits. But now I understand why he was so interested in you...you were the great superdog that was undoing all of his master's grand plans. I sought to help you, even after I realised who you were. And now..." her voice began to sound shameful. "...now I realise all that was a mistake. I should have let Zippy have his way with you from the start."

"But...but Mindy..." Bolt was still struggling to comprehend it. Mindy had become a completely different dog. Her fear was gone, and a new, darker side of her seemed to have been exposed in its place. "...it's not...I don't..."

"Oh, look at him, he's heartbroken!" Hairballs jeered. "Oh this is just _adorable!_"

"Let it go, Bolt!" Mindy snapped, obviously in no way amused or touched by Bolt's pain. "Just face facts, there is nothing to be gained by opposing Calico or Hairballs. You've lost your powers...and all you have to protect you now is a weak, gangly excuse for an assassin!" Mittens hissed savagely at her like that.

"We trusted you!" she finally cried. "I trusted you! And now you turn your back on us, and every dog, cat and, human on this planet! And why? To get back at Bolt for a few heated words, that he regrets even now!" It obvious that, while Bolt was simply feeling hurt and betrayed, Mittens was just plain furious. It seemed that she had expected Mindy to show more reason than this.

"Of course he regrets them, now that he stands here, staring his death in the face!" Mindy's voice seemed to be growing more and more savage, and she now crouched slightly, staring Bolt down, in an obvious fighting stance.

Bolt realised, with a sick sense of horror, that Mindy intended to kill him herself...intended to fight him.

"BOLT!"

Penny's voice snapped Bolt out of the little world the four creatures occupied. Completely losing interest in Hairballs and Mindy, he snapped his head around to where Calico, Richard and Penny were, and saw what he had been dreading ever since this mission started, way back in Silverlake.

Calico's patience, it seemed, had finally reached it's last limit. He was staring furiously at Richard, who appeared to be pleading with Calico, obviously in the process of denying something. Calico's finger was slammed down on it button on the cage controls, and Penny...Penny was screaming one, last cry to her dog, and closest companion, and the cage slowly sank into the water.

Calico, obviously, had not gotten what he wanted from Richard...and he was now drowning Penny for it!

"PENNY!" Bolt's cry of absolute fear and anguish, echoed throughout the room as he desperately made to lunge forward. Any plan he may have had at that point was thrown out in an instant. His only thought - only goal - was to get to Penny and, somehow, free her...before she drowned.

But almost the instant he moved, he became aware of a large mass slamming into his side with considerable force, throwing him off his feet, causing him to roll, caught in the mess of fur and limbs of his attacker. As he tried to extract himself from the tangle, he registered the sound of a gunshot going off somewhere in the cavern, followed almost immediately by a loud, booming roar of pain, defiance, fear...and absolute fury. Something was happening in the cavern, and Penny was drowning. But he could not deal with any of that, not until this threat of his was death with.

Finally extracting himself from the tangle the tackle had caused, he jumped to his feet, turning to face his attacker, growling threateningly...only to stop when he saw Mindy in front of him, a savage snarl on her face, growling menacingly. She was the attacker...she was the one intent on killing him here and now? Confused, he looked to Hairballs, only to notice that he had Mittens pinned to the ground, oblivious to any of her struggles. He smiled when he noticed Bolt's gaze on him.

"Go on, Mud. He won't be a threat to you."

Bolt turned back to Mindy. "Mindy, please, don't do this."

"Exactly what am I doing, Bolt?" Mindy replied coldly, as the two of them began to circle each other. "Killing you? No, I am doing that, and so much more. I am securing the future of not only this planet, but our place on this planet as a species, Bolt. We have a chance, Bolt...a chance to lead better lives than any dog has dared dream of for hundreds of generations...all we have to do, is embrace Calico's plan!"

"You're wrong, Mindy," Bolt said slowly, sadness lacing his voice. "Calico's plan will only bring the world, and every living thing in it, to ruin. You're blinded by Hairballs' madness."

"Then fight me!" Mindy cried. "If you're so convinced I'm wrong, fight me...as you fought all the rest of Calico's followers!"

But Bolt already knew the answer to that. "No."

"What?" Mindy seemed confused, but Hairballs was smiling...he had expected that.

"I won't fight you, Mindy. I can't hurt a friend." The more words that came out of Bolt's mouth, the more he was convinced that he could not do it. He'd rather die, than harm someone so close to him, so dear to him.

"You do realise that if you don't fight, you will die?" Mindy asked, still looking confused.

"Better that, than betray my friend in the most cruel, heartless way." Bolt replied.

And there, then, as the circle placed Bolt in between Mindy and Hairballs, Bolt saw it. The slightest smile flickered across Mindy's face. But the smile was not laced with the cold, heartless malice that had been there before. This smile was filled with warmth, trust...and friendship.

It took Bolt a full two seconds to register it, as he froze where he was. Mindy was faking! The betrayal, the harsh words, the cold bearing...it was a big, complex trick to get Hairballs off-guard, so carefully executed that even Bolt had been fooled. Mindy had not come back for revenge against Bolt's harsh words...she was coming back to help him...to save him!

And even as he stood there, between two apparent enemies, Mindy vaguely mouthed two words to him, unheard, but seen by the White Shepherd. _"Go...Penny."_

And there, Bolt understood completely, and in that moment, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed something else, sitting beside the lift. It had not been there before, Mindy obviously bringing it with her when she came down. And when he realised what it was, he realised where his priorities lay...and what he had to do. He slowly made a single, tiny nod of his head to Mindy, so small that only she would have noticed it, to show that he had gotten her message.

"So you choose death?" Mindy questioned, her cold, uncaring facade back on once more. "Very well...take it, then!" And with that, she lunged at Bolt, forepaws outstretched, teeth bared, ready for the kill...but not against Bolt.

Bolt moved at exactly the same time. He rolled sideways, moving with a speed and agility that surprised him in his powerless state. Without turning to see what the other three were doing, he immediately shot off the mark, sprinting across the cavern, his only focus the thick cable dipping into the water...all he could see of Penny's cage, now fully submerged. Bolt had no idea how long she had been under, but he knew exactly what he had to do...although he had no idea, without his powers, how to go about doing it.

But he did not let that stop him. If Penny died now, when he had the opportunity to save her, he would never forgive himself. Still running at a full sprint, he leapt into the air, allowing himself to arc down as he hit the water with a loud splash, which was immediately silenced as he submerged himself under the water, immediately looking around to gain his bearings. It took a moment to find Penny's cage, a short distance under the surface, directly below.

Holding his breath for dear life, Bolt kicked desperately downwards, managing to power himself awkwardly through the water, until he finally reached the cage, seeing Penny through the bars. She could not have been under for too long, but already, it seemed to Bolt that she was running out of time. She was writhing around in her cage, as some invisible creature was tearing her apart from the inside out. Snapping into action at the sight of his person in such pain, Bolt immediately went to the bars. His only thought was to prise them apart, giving Penny a gap to swim through. He knew that he did not have his powers, but it was her only chance.

But push and pull of the metal poles as he might, they would not budge. Already he could feel his lungs burn inside him, screaming for air as the breath he had taken as he entered the water already began to run dry. He ignored the pain, though, the bars creaking slightly as he continued his desperate struggle to free Penny. He knew what he would do now...he would either free Penny...or die trying. He would not give himself any other alternative.

But his furious struggles stopped as he felt, through the water, a soft, warm contact against one of his paws. He looked at the paw in question, noticing a small, gentle hand. Looking up, he saw that Penny had stopped her writhing, and was now staring him directly in the eye, a fierce adoration and love there, even at the moment of her death. Unable to speak underwater, her mouth nevertheless formed words that Bolt had little difficulty in understanding.

_"Bolt?"_

The one, silent word galvanised Bolt back into action. But now, on top of struggling against the bars, he also struggled against the powers in the mind, fighting to break the barrier holding them back. _Penny won't die...Penny can't die...not now..._

But again, the soft contact, this time against his muzzle, made him stop. He looked at Penny once more. It was now obvious from her body stance this she was on the verge of unconsciousness...yet she still retained enough sense and self-presence to show him, in her final moments, how much she loved him, and to give him his final commands.

Slowly, the pressure from Penny's hand increased on his muzzle, and Bolt realised that she was trying to push him away as her lips formed yet more words: _"Please...leave me...save yourself."_

But Bolt could not do it. He shrugged off her hand, fighting even more desperately with the bars as he saw Penny slowly slipping away from him, her eyes becoming more and more unfocused as consciousness slipped from her. She was out of air...it was now or never. But the bars, and the barrier in his mind, refused to move. _No!_ he thought desperately. _No, no, no! Not now...not after everything we've been through. It can't end like this, no! PENNY!_

A sudden rush of emotions flooded him as his slowing mind went haywire. Love, desperation, regret, fear, panic, adoration...along with countless others, all aimed at Penny, and her present situation, overloaded his mind as his struggles reached fever-pitch. But with that overload in his mind, bolt felt an almighty _CRACK_ somewhere inside him, a flash of light blinding him momentarily, the source of light obviously from within his own body. When everything subsided an instant later, he felt his powers driving out from their hiding place, flowing through him once more. The barrier had been broken, he was back! But, somehow, his powers felt slightly different, as if something new had joined their ranks. But he ignored it, there was simply no time.

He pulled at the bars one last time, and joy surged through him as the steel, under the combined pressure of both his own strength, and his powers, finally gave, the bars bending aside in an instant, leaving a hole now more than big enough for Penny to fit through.

Penny's eyes widened at the sudden explosion of power in Bolt's body. But she seemed to sense that she was seconds from death, and as such moved instantly, swimming desperately out of the new opening, Bolt watching her go, waiting until he saw her breach the surface before focusing his attention on himself. But he could feel his mind slowing down, and his vision darkening. He was almost on his last legs, too. He needed to move!

But when he made to swim away, he was jolted back, something holding him back. Confused, he looked back, his dazed taking a few moments to realise what the problem was. When he had parted the cage bars, the bending steel had wedged itself against the neighbouring bars, pinning his forepaws in the cage. He was trapped!

He tried his strength once more, but his pinned paws meant that he could not get the leverage required the force the bars away, only succeeding in struggling uselessly, wasting more of his precious air. In desperation, he stared at the bars, his Heat-Vision flaring to life once again, as he attempted to cut through the bars. But again, it seemed fate had decided that he was to die there, because the water affected his Heat-Vision, almost completely nullifying it before it reached the bars, doing little more than making them red-hot. He forced his head closer, and increased the level of power being poured into the beams, and finally, with agonising slowness, he began to cut through the bars.

He could feel his consciousness continuing to slip away as he cut the bars. But even as he finally freed one paw, and now was able to use his strength to free his other paw, he realised the terrible, searing truth...he was out of time. He tried to swim back for the surface, but his head had barely cleared the top of the cage when he felt the last of his strength leave him...a strange peace descending over him as he finally fell into the deep, eternal blackness that awaited him.

He may be dying, but at least he had won in doing so. Penny was saved...he had achieved what he had set out to accomplish. And as he, at long last, embraced his final fate, he smiled faintly. _Penny was saved..._

...and for Bolt, that was enough.


	55. Chapter 54: Light and Shadow

**Chapter 54**

**Light and Shadow**

Mittens, trapped under Hairballs' power-enhanced, grip, could only watch as Bolt and Mud squared off, Mud looking like she was about to leap at Bolt. Having been trapped under Hairballs when she, too had turned at the sound of Penny's desperate cry, she was completely powerless to help Bolt. He may not have the stomach to attack a friend who had just so recently betrayed him, but she did. All she wanted to do right now was rip Mud's windpipe from her throat, and show what happens when you betray a cat like herself.

But even as she watched, she noticed Bolt's entire body language change. His sad, dejected stance seemed to vanish, and hope seemed to flare in his white body. _Huh?_ Then she noticed Mud, noticed her stance, too. It retained it's cold edge, but it was no longer directed at Bolt, but rather at...

Not bothering to finish the thought, Mittens simply sprang into action. She could do next to nothing, pinned as she was, but as she struggled blindly, she achieve her modest goal anyway: She distracted Hairballs, forcing him to break eye-contact from the fight, forcing him to focus on her, so that he could not see where Mud's true loyalties where planted.

In an instant, Hairball's power-enhanced paw was at her throat, choking her cruelly. "Don't struggle, Mittens. I want you to see this...I want you see what happens - "

But his voice was cut of in an instant as something crashed heavily into him. With his focus entirely on Mittens, he had not seen the attack coming, and as such was unable to protect himself against it. With the impact, Hairballs was lifted clean off Mittens, who coughed and gagged a couple of times, recovering from the evil cat's choking grip, before finally snapping to her feet, examining what had just happened.

Sure enough, as she had expected, Mud was now squaring off against Hairballs, her face distorted with rage, a new sense of courage filling her. Mittens had no idea where the meek, gentle German Shepherd had found her inner strength, but she thanked her fervently for it. For without her timely arrival, she was sure that both her and Bolt would be dead. Remembering Bolt, she glanced over to where he would almost certainly have run off too, just in time to see a white shape plunge into the water next to the cable holding Penny's cage underwater. Bolt was already on his way...already fulfilling his ultimate goal.

"Go get her, Wags," she whispered quietly as she turned her attention back to Mud and Hairballs, who were now circling each other.

"What are you doing, Mud?" Hairballs demanded.

"What I should have done a long time ago," Mud replied fiercely, a new fire in her entire being. Mittens realised that the dog she staring at was completely different to the stray German Shepherd of before. This dog was courageous, and loyal to her last true friend...Bolt. Then Mittens realised; this was not Mud the stray...this was Mindy, Bolt's friend and now protector.

"You do realise that you can't win, dog!" Hairballs declared, his voice triumphant even though they had not even begun to fight. "I am the one with the powers...I have the power to crush your life out with a single paw. You cannot defeat me! You have no skill, no power that I don't!"

At this point, Mittens had finally had enough. In a way, Hairballs was right...except for one thing...

Hairballs, once again, never saw the attack coming. He was so singularly focused on Mindy, so confident, that he had forgotten all about the assassin that he had helped train, that was now fighting to stop him. Mittens crashed into his side with all the force she could muster, the two of them tumbling away together. The instant Mittens got her bearings, she extended her claws, and launched a swipe at the evil cat's neck. One blow...one major vein or artery, and it was all over.

But, to her shock, her claws scraped against a hard shell, instead of fur and flesh, screeching loudly, as if she was just scraped metal. She stared dumbly at her claws, unable to figure out what had happened. It was a perfect strike. Hairballs had no time, and no room, to dodge...so how had she struck the steel floor instead?

But before she could think of anything else, Hairballs' hind legs caught her right in the soft part of her stomach, knocking the wind out of her as she was launched off of the cat, crashing back to the ground by Mindy's side, gasping for air. As she tried to get back to her feet, severely winded and still gasping for air, she heard Hairballs laughing manically.

"Did you really think it was going to be _that_ easy?"

The laughing continued as both Mindy and Mittens turned to face their adversary once more. But the sight of Hairballs caused Mittens' jaw to drop, absolutely gobsmacked. _How...?_

Hairballs was shining...literally. His fur was gone, and in it's place was something of a cross between medieval plate mail armour, and reptilian scales, covering his entire body, protecting him from harm. Mittens quickly realised that it was this armor that she had struck when she had lashed out. Her aim had been true, but she had not counted on this. How could she...Bolt had never shown any sort of power like this one before.

And Hairballs seemed to realise that, as he let the armor shimmer away, transforming back into delicate black fur, before shimmering once more back into the scaly, metallic covering, black as night. "Amusing, isn't it? I learned this trick all by myself. You see, the transformation process automatically gives you _some_ powers, but you can, if you so choose, learn others. It's sad to say though, that flying is impossible. It seems that these powers have certain...restrictions. Your friend appears to not have discovered that yet!"

"It does not matter, Hairballs!" Mindy yelled defiantly. "Your powers will all be for nothing in the end! We will get you, and we will kill you, unless you surrender now!"

Hairballs' response occurred in a split second. One moment, he was standing there, shining in his Super-Armour...the next, he was standing directly in front of Mindy, launching a savage head-butt at her. Mindy was sent flying by the blow, letting out one loud yelp of pain, before she crashed into the wall next to the lift door, collapsing to the ground, dazed, out of the fight.

Hairballs then turned his attention to Mittens. "You see? My powers are unconquerable! I can do everything Bolt was capable of...and more! And, to top it all off, I have taken on a new name! Hairballs is a ridiculous name for a cat of such power and invincibility...and I have taken your old name, Mittens! I am now the Shadow of Calico, and together, we will rule this world like never before!"

Mittens did not know what to do. It was obvious that Hairballs had won, and that he was savouring his victory. There was nothing Mittens could do, even with her impressive assassin skills, to out-do Hairballs' considerable new powers. He was just too strong, too smart...too powerful to contend. In the end, her only chance, she finally realised, was to stall for time while she tried to think of something. "I thought you planned on taking Calico's power from him?!" she demanded. And it was an honest question, too. Hairballs had also ranted on and on about how he would bring the animals into a new golden age of supremacy, and overthrow Calico's planned rule. now, it seemed, it all had been a lie. "Was that all a lie, huh?!"

"Actually, Mittens...yes, it was!" Hairballs was defiant and confident. He saw no reason to deny the truth any longer. Mittens realised that, to him, it did not matter. It was just his chance to play one last mind game with her before he killed her. "Why bother taking over Calico's realm, when I can leave him to take care of the business, while I can run around as I please, imposing my own rule upon the animals?! Calico can watch the pathetic humans, while I dominate over all the cats and dogs, and other filthy animals this planet has the idiocy to take care of. And with my powers, none will be able to contest my rule...I will be invincible, unconquerable...the world will be mine!"

"You're insane, Hairballs...you really are!"

"Perhaps," Hairballs dismissed the insult, flicking his claws casually from his paws, inspecting them. "But I don't think that's your problem right now, is it. Victory is mine...and you, and your precious friends, will have nothing but death!"

Hairballs raised a clawed paw, and Mittens tensed, preparing to defend herself, to fight to her inevitable death...

"Don't claim your victory until it is already won!"

Both cats spun at the voice, just in time to see Mindy, back on her feet, hurl a strange object at Hairballs. Mittens could not see it properly as it span through the air, but she was sure the object was a cardboard box of some kind. _What is that dog playing at?_ Mittens wondered. She respected the dog's courage, but she also knew that there was a big difference between courage and foolishness.

Hairballs, on the other hand, seemed quite unbothered by the object tearing towards him. Keeping his armour up, he flicked a paw at it casually just as it was about to strike him on the nose. It was obvious that he had put his strength into the swipe, for the box - it was a cardboard box - simply exploded on impact, blasting strange, small, lightly-coloured objects everywhere. He recoiled from the sudden explosion of the snow-like objects, but otherwise was unharmed. "Ha! You stupid mutt, what is this you think to attack me with?! Why, it's nothing more than..." his voice trailer off as Mittens saw him hold up with paw, with one of the small, peanut-shaped, aqua-coloured objects on it. Both sets of eyes went wide at the same time, as they both realised what it was.

Calico's power-draining styrofoam!

"No...no!" Hairballs' agonised cries filled Mittens with hope as she looked at Mindy, who was smiling knowingly. _How did she know?_ the cat asked herself, but shook the thought aside. There's time for that later. For now, she had a fight to win...Hairballs may be powerless now, but he was not going down without a fight.

Taking advantage once more of Hairballs' distraction, Mittens lunged, tackling Hairballs viciously, hitting him with her entire body. But his armour was still up, obviously not needing power to sustain itself, only needing it during the transformation. To Mittens, it was like slamming into a car. Lights popped and sparkled in her eyes as she collapsed to the floor, but noticing through the haze, with some pleasure, that Hairballs was also knocked off his feet.

Then the fight moved into full swing. Claws slashed, scaly armour flashed, and fur flew everywhere as it the two cats gave it their all, neither backing down, neither giving up. But Hairballs, with his armour, was at an advantage, he could not move very fast with the extra weight, but the armour made it nearly impossible for Mittens to hurt him. In the end, she was forced to back off, out into the cavern proper, as Hairballs pressed his advantage. Several times Mittens noticed Mindy, out on the sidelines, obviously wanting to join in and help her, but unable to for fear of hurting her instead. _And there's nothing she can do, anyway,_ Mittens thought grimly as she fought on, her claws doing nothing to the hard metal of Hairball's armour, while she in turn, took little scratches here and there, on her face, legs, and back. None of them were serious, and most did not even draw blood, but Mittens knew that all it was going to take was one good swipe from him...or one mistake from her, and she could lose an eye, or even her life. Neither of those options seemed very pleasing, so she fought on, determined to find some gap in the evil cat's armour, some weakness she could exploit. But the only one she could find was his eyes, glowing with rage and menace, and she was struggling to even get close to them.

Then Mittens, continuing to back off, stumbled as one of her back legs hit nothing but air. Looking back quickly, she noticed that Hairballs had pushed her all the way to the edge of the wide, rapidly-flowing river that split the cavern in two. And it was there, that she realised she was done. She was exhausted, and fighting against a foe that had steel for skin. Knowing she was dead, anyway, Mittens turned back and one last, desperate lunge for Hairballs' face, aiming her claws for the eyes, praying she hit something.

But Hairballs deftly evaded the last-gasp strike, anticipating it easily, his own steel-shod paw swiping out, similarly going for Mittens' face as she passed him by. Mittens howled in pain as she collapsed to the floor, her forepaws clutching at her right ear. The entire top third of it had been sheared off by Hairballs' claw, and the other claws had left, long, ragged cuts in the flesh of the remaining two-thirds, leaving a mess that began to bleed profusely, as Mittens desperately clutched at it, in an attempt to both stem the flow of blood, and ease the agonising, stinging pain.

Hairballs shook his head and sighed as he pushed her limp form back towards the river's edge, preparing to push her in. "You put up a good fight, Mittens, I'll give you that. You should have stayed, you know...on our side, you could have done great things with your skills."

Mittens, feeling her body beginning to slip over the edge of the steel ledge that fell away into the river, looked up at Hairballs...smiling as she noticed something. "Ah, but I'm doing great things now with my skills!" she said defiantly, gritting her teeth through the pain in her ear.

"What things? All your skills have been useless against me...and you're now facing your death!"

Mittens' smile widened. "There's one skill you never valued, and one you always overlooked, Hairballs. And now it will be your undoing!"

Hairballs laughed. It was obvious that he had Mittens in a completely vulnerable position, that there was no skill left for her to use...which was exactly what she was counting on. "Oh, really...and what might that be?"

Mittens' eyes drifted, moving from Hairballs' sneering face, to a point somewhere behind him, just over his shoulders. "It's called...teamwork!"

And with that signal, Mindy pounced. She had been waiting for the moment, when Mittens was at the least risk of being caught in a crossfire, and Hairballs was, once again, distracted, so focused on one target. With selfishness and deception being his nature, the black cat simply did not understand the concept of friendship, and through it, working as a team. As such, he did not realise Mindy was behind him as she ran, growling mightily, straight into his backside. He may have been heavy, but was not a big cat, and Mindy had both force and leverage on her side. As such, Hairballs, armoured hide and all, was lifted into the air, doing a spectacular front-flip directly over Mittens, yowling all the way, before he fell fast, dragged down by his metal hide, crashing into the river with a mighty splash. He never surfaced, his steel skin dragging him down. Eventually it would drown him...if the secrets the cave at the end of cavern held did not kill him first.

But as Mittens looked down at the cave entrance, getting back to her feet, she knew that one thing was certain. Hairballs would never be surfacing...ever again.

But she could not think on it any more, because at that moment, Mindy got in her face, her own apologetic and concerned. "Mittens, are you alright? Your ear...?"

"I'll be fine," Mittens said, although it certainly did not feel that way. She once again put a paw to her ear, still slick with blood, her paw shaking as she fully came to grips with the fact that part of her ear was missing. In an attempt to distract herself, she turned back to Mindy. "What about you? What was with all that back there?"

Mindy knew exactly what she was talking about. "I know...and I'm sorry I tricked you all like that. But it seemed like the only way to get that cat off his guard. I knew Bolt's person did not have much time, and I knew he'd have to get away quick."

But Mittens had ignored most of the last part...she had just remembered Bolt, who she had last seen diving into the drowning cage pool to save Penny. Her head whipped around, looking for the place where it was, and when she saw it, and what was happening there, her heart sank.

"Oh, no...no!"


	56. Chapter 55: Mind Over Muscle

**Chapter 55**

**Mind Over Muscle**

"Penny!"

It was the only sound that ever reached Richard's ears, the only thing he was aware of in the entire cavern...his own desperate cry as Penny's cage was finally dragged under the surface, with her still inside. Penny was drowning, and he was bound to his chair, lacking the information Calico needed in order to save her. Everything was going wrong...and he simply could not fix it!

But as the cage finally stopped lowering, Richard knowing it must have been at least three feet below the surface now, he finally rounded on Calico, who was still standing over the controls for the cage, grinning evilly at him. "YOU!" he roared, fuelled by nothing more than blind anger.

Calico wagged a finger at him, only increasing his rage. "No, no, no, professor, it's _you!_ _You_ can stop this..._you_ can get Penny back! I just need the information _you_ have!"

Richard was desperate now. All we wanted was his little girl back. "Believe me Calico, I would tell you if I knew! I would not give up my daughter's life over this! But I don't know how to make this experiment work for people! I did not test it before you got me! I can't just make the answer appear out of thin air! You're threatening Penny over something I can't give!"

"You _can_, professor!" Calico raged, similarly losing patience, and beginning to give in to desperation. It was obvious what this had become; a timed battle of wills. If Richard could not break Calico before Penny drowned, there would be nothing left for him. Without the information Calico so desperately craved, he would just be killed, and Calico would hire someone else to find the secret for him. It would take more time...years, possibly, but he would still have it. Richard knew that the only chance to stop Calico was here and now.

"You _can_ give it! And you will! There's no-one left to help you now. You're dog, along with his friends, are caught, and everyone else that has helped you is dead! You've lost, Richard...give up!"

"Aren't you forgetting someone?"

Both Richard and Calico spun at the voice, although Richard struggled with the bonds holding him to the chair. But the voice was coming from somewhere in front of Richard, across the river, on the other side of the cavern. Richard gaped when he saw the source of the voice. _No way!_

For there, rising to his feet, a long-barrelled, high-powered rifle in his hands, was Bruce. Blood covered the front of his body armour, all of sourcing from the single bullet wound in his chest. Yet, somehow, he was still alive...and now he was going to finish the job. But even as Richard watched, his face could only fall in despair as he saw the rifle - obviously a sniper rifle of some kind - was turning towards him, stopping when it was pointing straight at him.

Richard's mind went haywire. It made no sense! Why, after betraying Calico, and getting shot, and nearly killed by him, would he, in his dying moments, turn back again? In the end, he finally reasoned, it did not matter. He could not move, could not dodge, and the man probably only had enough life in him for one shot. If he shot Calico, Penny would still die, and Richard would not be able to live on. And Bolt...how would Bolt react to his person's death? But it did not matter, for he had been hearing the scuffle going on behind him, and knew that Bolt was most likely in the process of being killed himself. In the end, no matter what matter, the only possible survivors of this strange, multi-layered stand-off could be either himself...or Calico. And Richard knew his life would be meaningless without Penny. She had been the only reason he had gotten over the death of his wife, and Penny's mother, all those years ago. She had been the only solace during his grieving period.

And now...now he waited for the shot. Waited for his life, now in ruins, to be over. For Calico to finally be able to savour his final, if delayed, victory.

_Bang!_

The shot rang through Richard's ears, his mind seeming to focus on that single, loud crack, filling his entire world...but only for a split-second. For, in the very next instant, a searing pain shot through his right arm, down by his wrist, he jerked it involuntarily, moving to grasp it, with his other hand, which was held back by the bonds holding him to his chair...

He stopped. Why could his right hand move? Snapping back to reality, he looked down, expecting, strangely, to see his shirt and white lab coat that he seemed to always wear to be in the process of drenching in blood as the bullet wound took hold. But no blood came, and no wound was present. Finally, he looked at his burning hand, and what he saw astounded him.

Bruce, it seemed, had not been aiming to kill him after all. The man, it seemed, had realised that, no matter who he killed, so many others would still die. So he did the only thing that would give everyone else a chance...freed Richard! The bullet, fired with a clinical precision that only a trained marksman could possess, had sliced clean through the ropes that bound his right hand to the chair. It had nicked his wrist on the way through, but the ropes simply fell away from the chair, cleanly cut.

But that, it seemed, was all Bruce was capable of, for even as Richard looked back up, Calico fired one more shot from his pistol, the bullet entering Bruce's skull, ending his rebellion of the green-eyed man for good. At that point, Richard froze, expecting Calico to turn around and find him, one arm freed. But Calico, obviously believing Richard dead, had eyes only for Bruce as he spoke, Richard using his distraction to continue freeing himself.

"Strange man, Bruce. First he works for me, then he turns and tries to kill me, and then, as his final act, he kills the professor." It was obvious he was talking to himself, just trying to work out what was going on. Finally he shrugged. "I guess he killed the whining man to try and stop my plans." he chuckled softly to himself. "When will you lot learn that I cannot be defeated?"

At that point Calico turned around. Richard could not help but allow his features to raise into a sinister, satisfied smile as he saw the evil doctor's look of shock at finding Richard alive, free from his chair, and already striding towards him, fist raised for a crushing blow. Richard was not a fighter, but he knew that he was going to beat this evil man senseless, then free Penny before it was too late.

Calico desperately raised the gun in his hand, but by that point, it was much too late. Richard was simply too close. As the professor tackled the doctor, the gun discharged in some wild direction as the two of them collapsed to the ground, less than a foot from the edge of the river. Calico's head hit the steel hard, dazing him, and forcing the gun out of his hand, Richard using the opportunity to jump back to his feet and lunge for the cage controls, slamming his hand down on the button marked 'Raise'.

Nothing happened. _What?_ Richard pressed the button again, and again got no response, and that was when he saw it. The bullet that Calico had fired as the two of them had tackled had sliced straight into the control console. Richard had no idea what that little bullet had cut on its way through, but he knew the results well enough.

The controls were dead...the cage would not move!

"No...no, Penny...PENNY!" Richard mad to rush for the cage, panic flooding him, but he was stopped as two pairs of hands seized him roughly from behind, spinning him around, away from the cage, and throwing him away, sending him sprawling, crashing to the cold steel floor.

"Spare me, professor!" Calico roared from somewhere behind Richard. "I've had enough!" He picked Richard up again, and threw him away once more, closer to the edge of the river. "I don't care whether you know the secret or not, you are too dangerous now!" He started striding towards Richard once more. "Your precious little Penny will drown, professor...and I want you to witness it, and see her pathetic corpse before you die!" He grabbed the professor who had defied him once more, and hurled him, this time out over the edge, over the river.

But Richard never felt the water. Instead, he once again hit cold metal, a lump of it driving into his hip painfully. Dimly, through the haze of aches and pains he body was feeling from the battering it was receiving, he realised that he had been thrown out onto one of the bridges that spanned the river, connecting the two sides of the cavern together. From here, Richard noticed, he could easily see the pool where Penny's drowning cage was currently submerged in, although he could not see the cage itself. Instead, he could see a faint trace of ripples, where something had splashed into the pool a short time ago. This confused Richard, but he had no time to dwell on it, for once again Calico was upon him, dragging him to his feet. But this time, Calico did not throw him. Instead he held him close, so that the two were almost nose-to-nose.

"Now, watch the death of your daughter, Richard! And watch well...it will be the last thing you ever witness!" Once Calico was done, he looked around himself, as if looking for something. He eyes searched more thoroughly and frantically as he failed to find whatever it was he was searching for. "Where is it?!" he demanded of no-one in particular. "It was here, I saw it!"

_Now!_ Richard's mind screamed. Taking advantage of Calico's distraction, he twisted violently in the grip, instantly managing to break free. Before Calico could figure out what had happened, Richard jumped back, and finally revealed an object from behind his back, the lump of metal that he had fallen on when he was thrown on the bridge, and also the reason for Calico's fruitless search...Calico's pistol, which had tumbled onto the bridge just after he had got off that shot that had just destroyed the console. Now Richard was facing Calico, gun up and ready.

"This is for Penny, and all the other innocent people you've killed," Richard declared, a hint of triumph in his voice, as he squeeze down on the trigger.

_Click._

The pistol was out of bullets. "No!" Richard screamed, staring at the gun dumbly as Calico started to laugh, obviously highly amused at Richard's incredible bad luck. To him, this was the ultimate sign that he was invincible, that nothing could ever stop him from achieving his ultimate goal. Everyone that attempted to defy him simply lacked the skill, or else just fell to bad fortune.

_No-one is invincible._

Those words spurred Richard on, and in the face of hopeless luck, he had one last, small attempt to finally put an end to Calico's madness. He lunged forward, Calico once again failing to see the threat until it was too late to stop it. The pistol, now nothing more than a chunk of metal, slammed into his face with all the force of Richard's throw. Calico reeled, his nose breaking with a sharp crack, instantly beginning to bleed severely as he recovered quickly, lunging back, hoping to catch Richard off-guard in a similar manner to what he had just been a victim of.

But Richard was ready, his mind focused, his wits sharp. He ducked around and under Calico's blind, enraged charge, managing to slip past the man on the narrow confines of the rail-less bridge. Once past, he turned back, striding purposefully towards Calico, his fists balled, his face set. His body language said it all: _The end was here...now!_

Calico turned around, one hand over his smashed nose, trying to find Richard. But Richard had all the advantages. He was calm, focused, and completely in control of the fight. He launched one fierce punch, then a second, both connecting solidly. The first hit Calico's arm, swiping it easily away from his broken nose, before the follow-up smashed into his chin, causing him to stagger, his vision losing focus. Richard's third punch he managed to feebly block, but that just left him exposed to the fourth, with slammed directly into his soft stomach. Calico doubled over, wheezing, as Richard wound up for the fifth punch...and delivered.

This time, Richard felt the pain almost as much as Calico as the devastating, merciless uppercut connected savagely with the underside of Calico's jaw. The blow was so severe that Calico was sent sailing over a foot into the air, his desperate attempt to back away at the last second only enhancing the spectacular back-flip he performed, before he came crashing down, face-first, directly on to the steel floor, off the bridge, a few feet from where Bruce lay. He was not dead, but he was not coming back to this world for some time, Richard assumed. Massaging his bruised knuckles, satisfied that he had dealt Calico a good, and well-deserved beating, he turned back and began across the bridge, remembering Penny as he went.

He ran for the drowning pool, but there was no need. He had not even cleared the bridge when he saw a shape burst out of the water, coughing and gasping for air. Richard nearly cheered when he saw that it was Penny. He ran, a grin spreading across his face as he finally came to Penny's side as she clambered out of the pool, shivering as she curled up on the metal, looking all around her.

"Penny, oh, God, Penny, you're okay, you're alright!" He knelt down beside her, quickly removing his lab coat and wrapping it around her sodden, shivering form in a small attempt to warm her back up again. She was breathing heavily, looking as though she had avoided drowning by a tiny margin. Richard already knew that it was a fact...she was lucky to be alive. "But how...?"

Penny cut off his question as she continued to look around wildly, her face growing more and more fearful. "Bolt..." she croaked hoarsely. "Where's Bolt? He was right with me..."

Richard looked at her, confused for a moment. Then he put the pieces together, and realised what she meant. He span, looking into the drowning pool, and saw a vague, shadowy shape, just a couple of feet below the surface. "Oh, no..." Snapping into action, not even thinking about the possibilities, he dived into the pool, covering the couple of feet without a single stroke. But as he reached the figure, his worst fears were confirmed. It was Bolt. Somehow, he had escaped from whatever predicament he had been in, and had managed to save Penny. But here he was floating under the water. His mouth lolled open, he did not move...and his mark was deathly faint. Richard had no idea what that meant, but knew it was no good as he pulled the White Shepherd under one arm, swimming desperately back for the surface.

He could only pray that Bolt was not too far gone. If he died - if he was not dead already - the consequences for Penny would be unthinkable...


	57. Chapter 56: Sacrifice

**Chapter 56**

**Sacrifice**

Penny knelt at the water's edge, her shivering gone, the cold and wet forgotten. They did not matter. What really mattered was the creature that her father had gone down to retrieve. If something had happened...if Bolt was...

Penny actually cried out with joy when Richard re-surfaced, clutching the familiar White Shepherd she loved so much under one arm. She was about to reach forward and take him when she stopped, her body frozen in place by a searing, mind-numbing dread.

Bolt's eyes were closed, and his mouth hung open...he was not moving.

All thoughts of glee and joy simply vanished as Penny came to grips with what she was seeing. "No..." she breathed, before her disbelieving panic set in. "No, it can't! It just can't happen! Bolt?!"

But there was no denying it as Richard reached the edge of the pool, shoving Bolt up in front of him, Penny diving to her companion's side as her father made to drag himself out of the pool after the lifeless dog. She pulled Bolt's drenched, sodden form up onto her lap, his head resting on her legs, and tried desperately to see something...anything, just some sign that he was still alive, that he had not sacrificed himself for her.

She had tried to tell him, tried to make him leave, to save himself. She knew that she was dying, and she knew that Bolt had lost his powers, that he had no chance...and she was willing to die, so long as she knew that Bolt had escaped, and lived on. Better that, than having them both die. But she had noticed, even as she drifted on the very edge of consciousness, that there was something...different, about Bolt. His time spent out there, alone, without her...had changed him. He seemed, in a way, more determined than ever to complete their mission, save her and Richard, and stop Calico, and yet...he seemed, less dangerous, in a way. Something had changed him, pulled him away from the ruthless, merciless nature he had shown towards Calico's men in the past. Something, or someone, Penny had realised, had changed Bolt, made him kinder, gentler...and had corrected the one and only thing Penny did not like in Bolt. Whatever had happened, Penny knew that Bolt had become a better dog for it.

And while it thrilled her to be able to see him, one last time, she had still wanted her best, closest friend to leave her, to save himself and let her drown. But for all the things Bolt must have experienced while she was Calico's captive, none of it had dulled his loyalty to her. He would protect her, as he always had...even to his last breath. And now, it seemed, that it was that undying, unwavering loyalty, that had led him to do the one thing Penny had always feared...Bolt had given his own life, to save hers.

"Bolt," she choked, softly stroking Bolt's head. "Bolt, please...not now...not after everything that's happened." Her voice grew louder, and more desperate, as Bolt refused to move. "Bolt, please...please don't go! Come back, please! I can't face this world alone...please, Bolt! Please...just come back..." Her glistening eyes finally refused to hold back tears any longer, and she softly began to weep as she sat there, stroking Bolt's fur, pleading, praying, for Bolt to come back.

But as she sat there, she felt Bolt's weight move off her lap. Looking up, blinking to clear her teary eyes, she saw that Richard had pulled Bolt from her lap, and was now laying him down on the ground, on his side. At he did this, Penny saw the mark for the first time, and she actually let out of stifled, choking gasp. The mark was almost gone! All that was left of it was a faint, indistinct dark patch on his left flank. Penny did not quite understand how she knew, but she knew that if that mark faded completely, then Bolt was gone. While the mark was still there, however indistinct, Bolt still clung to a shred of life, even if he was not breathing and his heart had stopped. The mark was everything...it was more than just a symbol of his power...if was a complete representation of Bolt's powers, and through it, his life. If it disappeared, so did any hope for Bolt.

And all Penny could do was lie down beside Bolt's head once more as Richard began to push down repeatedly on Bolt's ribs, in a desperate attempt to restart the dog's heart. "Come on, Bolt," she whispered, feeling her tears running down her cheeks as hope continued to fade with each passing second. "Please, don't give up...please just come back. Don't leave me here alone, please..."

As Richard continued to attempt to revive Bolt, and Penny lay there, whispering softly, pleadingly, to her ultimate companion of the past five years, her memory went over everything that had happened between the two of them in that wonderful, blissful period. She saw Bolt, as a little puppy, when she had first laid eyes on him in Joe's store...when she had first realised that _he_ was the one...he would be her ultimate companion. She saw her, in their early days, desperately trying to train a young, energetic Bolt the basics of obedience. She saw herself, lying in bed one night, with Bolt curled up by her side, unwilling to leave her side for even the briefest of moments. But rather than her mind moving on, she saw other things. She saw herself, back home, in her room...only this time she was alone. There was no Bolt, although the pictures she had taken of the two of them remained hung on her wall. As she watched she saw herself, a dejected, slumped figure of extreme depression, push herself from the side of the bed. She walked to the wall full of photos, tears filling her eyes as she stared at the last remaining memory of her closest friend. For she realised that this was obviously a scene of her future...if Bolt died. And all she could do was watch in horror as she tore the pictures down from the wall, dumping them all carelessly in a garbage bag at her feet. It was obvious that this was her attempt to get over the loss...by erasing any memory she had of him.

"No!" With a supreme effort, Penny wrenched herself from the horrifying scene, forcing herself back to the present. But the damage had been done. Panic flooded her mind, she could not allow that future to become reality...Bolt had to survive! She knew now, for certain, that her life was connected undeniably to Bolt's. If one of them died, the other would only be able to live a shadowy, despairing half-existence. They would continue to live on in the world, and go about their day-to-day lives...but inside, they would already be long dead, simply existing because there was nothing better to do, while they waited for death to take them, and reunite them at last. It was a sad existence Penny knew she could never bear to experience.

"Bolt please!" she cried, grabbing Bolt's head in her arms once more, hugging him desperately. "Please come back!" The tears came with increasing pace as desperate, hopeless panic overwhelmed her. "I need you, Bolt! I can't go on without you! Please...please just come back! You're my world...I can't live on without you. Please..." But even as she continued to plead, she could clearly see, even through her tears, the mark of his side continuing to fade, only just visible now. Within seconds, it would fade entirely...and then it would be all over. He would be beyond her reach, and she would tear herself apart on the inside, never to recover.

She looked pleadingly at Richard, her eyes begging her to do something, anything more to save him. He looked into her eyes, and it was there that the last of Penny's hope vanished. Richard was trying with all his might to revive Bolt, but he was not having any success. As they stared into each other's eyes, they came to the same, dreadful conclusion.

Bolt was too far gone...he was beyond saving.

"No..." Penny's voice, and heart, tried desperately to deny the truth, but her mind, ever embracing fact, would not deny it. "No...Bolt! BOLT!" As Richard finally stopped his useless attempts at reviving Bolt, Penny pulled the White Shepherd back into her arms once more, breaking down into choking, sobbing cries as she finally accepted the inevitable. And even as she watched, she saw Bolt's mark flicker one, final time...and fade completely, slowly disappearing from Penny's sight.

The choking cries began wails of anguish as she sat there, cradling Bolt's head in her arms, shock and grief overwhelming her. "Bolt..." she said the name over and over again, between her great, sobbing cries, as if somehow it might bring him back from the dead. Finally, the shock of losing one so close hit her, and she fell silent, except for the small hiccuping sobs that escape her from time to time. Tears streamed down her face, but she made no move to wipe them away, even as the slowly dripped from her chin and onto Bolt's pure, now unblemished fur.

As she looked upon the limp body of her friend, she realised that, in death, he had been turned back into his old, innocent self, free of the burdens their mission had placed upon him. He was, once more, the puppy Penny so vividly remembered in the pet store, that day, five years ago. Bolt the Superdog was no more...he was, once again, just a normal, regular dog...and that was the way Penny liked it. She knew, through her grief, that this was the way he probably wanted to die. Free of all his problems, returned back to the innocence he once had. but it did nothing to comfort her as she continue to cradle him, sobbing the whole time.

She jumped as she felt a strange, furry contact on her side. Turning, she found herself staring into the eyes of a German Shepherd. From a glance Penny could somehow tell that it was a female, and young, too...possibly younger than Bolt. For a moment, she wondered what it was doing here...and then she saw that the dog had no collar, and understood. This was a stray dog that Bolt had found during his adventures alone...someone that had possibly helped him, and comforted him on the long, lonely journey to find her. And even as the thought crossed her mind, she saw the disbelieving, anguished look on the dog's face as it laid eyes on Bolt's limp form, and knew that, whoever this German Shepherd was, she was close to Bolt.

But even as the German Shepherd moved closer to Bolt, Penny noticed that, behind it, there was a small, gangly black cat, with white markings streaked all over her body. Again, the same anguished look was on the animal's face, and Penny knew this was another of Bolt's companions. So Bolt had found some friends along the way, and had finally learned to interact with other animals.

But Penny's grief and anguish were still dominating her, and she could not find any peace in those thoughts as the two strange, stray animals came up to Bolt's side, nudging him and making quiet noises, as if they, too were trying to talk to him, trying to bring him back. Her grief only increasing at the sight of the two animals, obviously coming to terms, as she had, with the loss, Penny broke down once more into sobs, making no attempt to stifle or quieten herself as hugged Bolt's body more fiercely, as if letting him go would be the final straw, the final break that would tear him from this world, and this life, completely.

"Bolt...I'm so sorry..." she finally choked. "I'm so...I love you, boy...I always will."

Almost as soon as the words left her mouth, a loud howl caused her to start violently, her fractured nerves jumping to life at the unexpected, loud noise. Soon, a loud, long, drawn-out meow joined the howl, and Penny realised that the two animals, bolt newest friends, were also mourning his loss. Penny looked up at them, then over at Richard, noticing that he too, was kneeling there, tears running down his face. The scene must have looked absolutely ridiculous, but right here, right now, to Penny...it was right. This was Bolt's group, his collection of friends, the only family he had ever known, and they were paying their last respects to the dog that had died to save them all.

Finally, Penny could take it no longer. she slowly put Bolt's body down on the floor, releasing his head at long last. But she could not stop herself from running her hands over his fur one last time. She had to feel his warmth once more, before it vanished completely.

But as her hands slowly ran along his flank, she stopped. She thought she had seen something - a pulse of some kind - as she had run her hand over the place where the mark used to lie. She froze completely, removing her hand from Bolt's body, staring. Was it just a trick of her eyes, and her fractured mind? It had to be, there was no other explanation.

But then Penny saw it again, and this time, it was not just a pulse...it was his mark, coming back into focus on his fur. Cautiously, Penny allowed a sliver of hope to enter her heart. _Could this be...?_

Then the mark pulsed again, and, by some unknown, unexplainable miracle, Bolt's body heaved as the dog released a single, loud cough, water blasting from his mouth as he cleared his lungs. He coughed twice more, then Penny gasped as she heard take a single, shuddering breath.

And then Penny cried out in absolute, pure joy as he took another, and the mark on his side, along with Bolt's life, flared back into existence in an instant. Penny began weeping once more as she dragged Bolt back into her arms, and hugged him more fiercely than she could ever remember doing before. Because now the tears were of joy, not anguish.

Bolt was alive...Bolt was back!


	58. Chapter 57: The SuperBark

**Chapter 57**

**The Super-Bark**

Bolt was unaware of anything going on in or around him, as he slowly drifted back from the half-world on the edge of death for the second time in a week. All he knew was that there was something in his lungs that did not belong there, and he had to get it out. He coughed and heaved violently, finally being rewarded after several attempts as he felt his lungs clear, and he was able to take his first, shuddering breath in what felt like an eternity.

As he took his next, blissful lungful of air, he felt life flow freely through him once more, and once more remembered who he was, and everything that had happened. Calico's facility...Marcus...Mittens...Mindy...Hairballs...Calico...Richard...Penny...

_Penny!_ Remembering his person, Bolt tried to move, but he felt exceptionally weak, and managed only a feeble twitch. But that seemed to be enough for the creatures surrounding him, as he heard various cries of joy, and felt familiar, comforting arms wrap themselves around his neck...arms he had not felt for what seemed to him like a very long time.

Bolt finally forced his eyes open, and what he saw brought a faint, weak smile to his face. His head was resting in Penny's lap, Penny hugging him tightly, weeping in absolute joy as she held him. It was obvious that she was thrilled to find him alive, and Bolt remembered the cage, and realised that he must had nearly drowned...or probably had, only to be revived somehow. With the thought, half-memories and vague visions from his time in the netherworld that bordered death tried to flood him...but he pushed them all aside, happy exactly where he was, right now. He continued looking around, and saw that, beside Penny, were Mittens and Mindy. Mittens was staring at him in slack-jawed disbelief, obviously still coming to grips with his miraculous return from the dead. Mindy on the other hand, was smiling broadly at him. The smile seemed almost too excessive, too happy, as though she was trying to hide something behind it. But Bolt ignored that, too, and looked over at Richard, the whole reason he and Penny had ever set out on this quest to stop Calico. He seemed to be in a strange conflict of emotions. He could a joy similar to Penny's there, but he could also see the ridiculous disbelief, too, as though he had never thought in a million years, that Bolt could have come back.

Finally, Bolt could take the moment in no longer, it was all too much. Slowly, he tried to raise himself up on his paws, but once again, his body was weak, still recovering, and simply would not respond the way he wanted it to. But he quickly remembered his powers, and, finding them working and at full strength, he drew upon them, using them to strengthen his weakened body, to help assist in his recovery, as he finally, with more aid of his powers, managed to slowly push himself to his feet, drawing away from Penny, leaving himself standing in the middle of the half-circle his friends and family created. He looked at each of them in turn, taking in all their faces, his eyes settling on Penny last of all. He could not contain his joy at the sight of here. With a single, loud bark, he leapt forward, literally throwing himself back into her arms. Only this time, when they embraced, he hugged her right back, his chin clutching her shoulder as though he would never, ever let go again.

He felt Penny tense, surprised by his sudden hug, but she soon returned it, feeling himself relax completely as he felt her arms wrap themselves around his neck once more. "Penny..." he finally whispered.

Penny would have heard nothing more than a faint, joyous whine, but she seemed to understand the meaning of it completely. "Oh, Bolt...I thought you were dead...I thought I'd lost you, boy."

Bolt drank in the words, taking absolute joy in hearing that soft voice once again. He felt like he had been separated from her for months and months, and to have her back...it left Bolt happier than he ever remembered being. After all this time, all this effort, it was finally over. He had Penny back, and Penny had her father back. Calico was defeated, and their fight against him was finally over. He hugged Penny tighter. "Me, too, Penny..." he whispered back. "...Me too."

A small, attention-grabbing bark forced Bolt to pull his head away from Penny's shoulder. Seeing Mindy and Mittens sitting there, obviously waiting for their own greetings, he smiled at them. "Hang on," he mumbled, wanting to enjoy this moment of bliss between himself and Penny for just a moment longer. He tightened his hug for a brief moment, before finally, reluctantly, he pulled away, jumping down from Penny's lap and sitting down in front of the two friends who had helped him reach this joyous moment. "Now, what happened?" he asked, looking around. "Where's Hairballs?"

It was Mittens who answered. "He went the same way you did...only I don't think he's going to come back." There was a sly sense of satisfaction to her voice as he said it.

Bolt turned to Mittens, understanding. He may not have seen it, but he knew that, whatever fight had occurred, Hairballs now lay, dead, at the bottom of the river next to them. But a moment later all thought of Hairballs was erased as he noticed Mittens properly for the first time. "Mittens...your ear!" he cried, gesturing to the ragged mess of her right ear. He saw that the entire top third of the triangular piece of skin and fur was missing completely, and the remainder was in tatters, two massive cuts slicing halfway across the ear. The whole thing, and Mittens right cheek, were covered in blood from the wounds.

Mittens put a paw up to her ear, and Bolt heard Penny gasp as she, too, saw the horrific wound. "Oh, that? Don't worry about it, it looks worse than it is." She frowned when she saw Bolt's disbelieving frown. "Trust me, Bolt...I'll be fine. It's you we should be worried about! How did you survive, anyway? You looked dead and gone for a long time!"

Bolt cast away the question. "I don't know what happened," he answered honestly. "But that doesn't matter any more. All that matters is it's over." He smiled at his two companions.

At that moment, Mindy, who had fighting for Bolt's attention for some time now, simply walked up to the White Shepherd, and bit him roughly on the ear. It did not break skin, but Bolt certainly felt it.

"Ow!" he jumped away from Mindy, shaking his head in a vain attempt to clear the stinging pain from his ear. "What was that for?!" he asked Mindy sharply.

"You!" Mindy replied sourly, although her tone lacked conviction. "I come back, put my life on the line to rescue you, and what do you do? You go and try and get yourself killed again! Am I going to have to watch you every second to make sure you don't make another suicide attempt?!"

Bolt responded by simply laughing. He could tell that the German Shepherd was simply pulling his leg, using it as a chance to vent some of the shock and frustration that past few days had left on them all. "It's good to see you, too, Mindy. But what made you come back?"

Mindy dropped her head, obviously embarrassed and ashamed. "I...I realised what I said, last night...what I said to you then was wrong. You deserved an apology, Bolt. But that's not why I came back. I came back because I finally learned that...to be courageous, I had to accept my fears, not try and force them away. So...I'm sorry, Bolt, for betraying you like that...and thank you. In the end, it was you who found my courage for me."

Bolt looked into Mindy's eyes, smiling at her. "What you did before, tricking everyone into thinking you worked for Calico...it saved my life. That, in my mind, repays everything."

Rather than the happiness or relief, Bolt was surprised to note shame, along with a hint of anger, play across Mindy's face. "It was all true, you know. All of it."

"What?" Bolt looked at Mindy's shameful face, not quite understanding. "What do you mean?"

"It was all true, except that I was working for Calico. Zippy...he was one of Calico's recruiters all along. I knew, and after I met you, I should have seen what was happening...but I didn't realise until after you left, while I was holed up in that vet. I wanted to escape, wanted to warn you, but again, I was too cowardly. And when you appeared in the vet, with Zippy dead, I...I wanted to tell you...but I couldn't."

Bolt looked at her, shocked. He had heard it before, when he thought Mindy had betrayed her. But to hear it now...after the fight. To have it confirmed as fact. Then Bolt saw certain things he had missed back on Pentland Beach. When he had first met Zippy, the little, hyper-active creature had tried to befriend him, to play with him. Then he realised, it had all been a ruse. Zippy was trying to befriend him so that the little dog could lead him straight to Calico. And when he came back, looking for Mindy, Zippy had lead him straight to the two thugs that had nearly killed him...only his plan backfired, and the thugs killed him in the crossfire.

Finally Bolt shook his head, clearing it. "It does not matter, Mindy. What matters is that you have chosen your side...and I am grateful that you have chosen the right one."

Mindy managed a weak smile at that. "Thank you, Bolt. It means - "

"Well, isn't this just _gorgeous!_"

Everyone spun at the cold, vile voice, looking out across the river, to the other side of the cavern. Penny gasped. Bolt's jaw dropped. Richard's face contorted into a furious snarl. For there, standing by Bruce's body, holding a strange, long-handled pistol in his hands, was Calico. It seemed that, despite being soundly beaten in the fight with Richard, he was still going, and by the look of pure, fiery rage that shook his whole body, he was out for nothing more than revenge.

"All the little gang together, rejoicing in their precious victory!" Calico snarled, all pretence of calmness and control gone. Now, Calico was allowing the sneering, cold, calculating madman underneath to surface in his entirety. "But, I'm afraid I had to cut your celebrations short. You see, I'm alive, and I'm the one with the weapon. And on top of that, this cavern, the heart of my operation, is pleasantly intact. As long as that is the case, you cannot win." grinning pure evil from ear to ear, he raised the strange pistol. "And now, I will kill you all, and remove the last fragments of your pathetic opposition from existence. You see, in the end, there will always be one outcome. No matter how hard you try, no matter how much damage you cause, I will always come back...I will always win, in the end...and you will always lose!" With that declaration, he loosed a stream of evil, manic cackling, the deranged laugh of a man who was completely and utterly insane.

As all this was happening, Bolt's mind was in overdrive. He was not going to let Calico best them...not here, not now, not after everything. His initial instinct was to just blast the man, use his Heat-Vision to send the man to the next life in an instant. But something told him that it was not the answer...that killing Calico would do nothing. In the end, just as Calico decided to centre the pistol on Penny's heart, he saw why. Because there would always be someone to take his place. If Bolt just killed Calico, but left his facility intact, someone else would simply come along, and follow on from where he left off. Bolt knew that, for Calico to be completely defeated, for his plan to crumble completely, both Calico, and this cavern, needed to be destroyed.

And as he eyed Calico, the cavern, all the various computers, and the river, a wash of memories flooded over Bolt. He looked to his friends, the human, cat and dog that now meant so much to him, and suddenly, a memory hit him that sparked a new feeling in him...one that his powers acknowledged. He knew what he had to do.

"And now, my little Penny," Calico said, his grip tightening on the gun as he steadied it on Penny's heart. "I think you will be the first to...what?"

Calico actually lowered the gun slightly as Bolt stepped forward, placing himself directly in front of Penny, in front of the entire group, almost daring Calico to take him first. He drew upon his powers, trying to work as fast as he could while Calico was still dumbstruck.

"Bolt, no!" Penny tried to reach down, to grab Bolt and push him aside, but his low, warning growl stopped her.

"Bolt, what are you doing?" Mindy asked, taking a cautious step forward.

At the voices, Bolt turned around, smiling. "Trust me," was all he said, before he turned back, continuing to draw on his powers. The idea he had in mind would need a large portion of them, but he would need even more to make sure that he was not affected by the serious display of power.

As Bolt focused every bit of power he could find, tinkering with it as he gauged the amounts he would need, he heard Calico cackling once more. "What's this? The dog wishes to sacrifice himself for you, girl?" The cackling intensified. "Oh, this is just so _adorable!_ A dog, sacrificing itself for his master!" he continued laughing for a few more moments, before abruptly stopping himself. "Well, if he has a death wish, who am I to deny it?"

But just as the pistol came up once more, Bolt was ready. He had his power, drawn and focused, and now he stepped forward, splaying his legs for balance. He put his right foreleg forward, and his right hind leg back, spreading his body mass over the largest area he could. Then, before Calico could figure out what was happening, he took a deep breath...and unleashed a single, savage bark, throwing all the power he had drawn up into it.

Unknown to anyone at the time, Calico had actually managed to fire a shot off, just as Bolt had barked. But as Bolt's bark, enhanced by his power, creating a massive pulse wave of sound, causing the bullet to simply stall in mid-air over the river, unable to resist the massive, devastating power of Bolt's new power...the Super-Bark.

The pulse wave shot across the cavern at incredible speed. As it crossed the river, it actually produced a massive wave of water, that travelled well behind the pulse. When the sound wave reached Calico, he was blasted clean off his feet, thrown back over ten yards before crashing heavily to the steel floor. The pulse reverberated off the walls, causing his bark to echo loudly as the last effect of the bark came down in all it's glittering glory...the wave. It gathered intensity, roaring over the rim of the ledge holding it on course, washing all over the floor on both sides of the cavern. Calico disappeared under the water, hit by the full force of it, while Bolt, Penny and the others simply had it slosh around their ankles. But it was the effect this wave had on Calico's computer banks, down in the cavern, that was what Bolt had been after the whole time. In an instant, all of Calico's electronic systems hidden in this cavern, all his critical information stored here, and all the powerful systems that ran the heart of his organisation fried in an instant as the water short-circuited every wire, every microchip, and every disk drive in the computers. Bolt did not know exactly how it worked. All he remembered was that electronics, which Calico relied on to keep everything running, always reacted badly to water.

And as the water settled, retreating back into the river, Bolt, and everyone else, could see the rows of smoking, dead computers, their systems fried, their information destroyed. And to top of all off, Calico had disappeared. The wave, it seemed, had washed him away, thrown him into the river, where he would have been washed immediately downstream, into the cave at the end of the cavern...never to return. It was, at long last, over. Calico was gone, and his headquarters were in ruins. Even if Calico somehow survived, he would have to start his manic plan from scratch. And Bolt knew that, without Richard, he would never be able to achieve his plan...at least not before he grew too old and weak to properly enact, or for his victory to have any worth or meaning. The fight was, at long last, over...and they had won. Calico had lost.


	59. Chapter 58: Aftershock

**Chapter 58**

**Aftershock**

Penny stared at the wet, smoking remains of the cavern in absolute shock, before finally looking down at Bolt, the White Shepherd now facing her, a satisfied smile on his face.

"But...what...how...?" she stammered, unable to find her voice. She turned to her father, demanding an explanation for this new power...one she had never seen in Bolt before. But Richard just stared right back, obviously as shocked as she was. He seemed to have no idea what Bolt had just done. Then something seemed to light up in his eyes, and he finally spoke.

"The vocal enhancement..." he whispered.

"What?" Penny was just confused now. "'Vocal enhancement'?"

Richard looked at her. "It was one of the 'powers' my alteration suggested he would get. Part of the alteration had given him the ability to enhance his voice...but I never thought it would mean this." His voice carried an air of stunned awe as his eyes turned to Bolt.

"But exactly what else can Bolt do, that I don't know of, then?" Penny asked. _What else is he capable of?_

"Theoretically, anything!" Richard exclaimed.

"Anything?" Penny repeated, watching as Bolt seemed to gather by the black cat, and the German Shepherd, obviously talking with them while Penny tried to get some much-needed answers from her father. "What do you mean, anything?"

"I don't know!" Richard replied. "I just altered him, the report afterwards told me what had happened, but it's obvious that Bolt has reacted...unusually...to the alteration sequence."

Penny's voice grew deadly serious as he walked up to her father, grabbing him firmly by the shoulders. She had had enough of secrets and lies. She had travelled halfway across the country, and even into Mexico, to find him. Ever since Bolt had been altered, Richard had refused to tell her the complete truth. To her, she was at least owed the truth...Richard at least needed to tell her that. "Dad, no more lies, please. I've searched everywhere for you, and nearly died trying to protect your secret, now please, tell the truth...exactly what did you do to Bolt?"

Richard's face grew sad as he eyed Penny. "You...you came after me?" he seemed touched, but at the same time, slightly disappointed. "Penny, I told you to run...to hide."

Penny shook her head. "Dad, don't avoid the question. What did you do to Bolt? Exactly what other powers could he have?"

At that point, Richard looked into her eyes. He must have seen her determination and desire for the truth, for he finally caved in. "Alright, Penny." But he still took his time in answering. "What I did to Bolt...I altered his...his genetic make-up...I changed his DNA...to give him powers. But I...I'm not sure exactly what it did to him. After Calico...performed the same alteration sequence on that cat of his, I saw...I saw the cat perform powers I did not know my alteration sequence was even capable of." He seemed to shake his head at the memory. "Whatever the alteration sequence did to Bolt, we will never know what he is capable of. I have a theory, but I'll need to test Bolt to be sure."

Penny shook her head vigorously at that. "No, dad...no more tests, no more experiments on Bolt. He's my dog, and it's my decision. I want my old dog back, dad...can you reverse what you did to him? Can you put him back to normal?"

Richard bit his lip, obviously disliking the answer he had to give. "I've never tried that, Penny. That was never part of my experiments under Calico. I...I might be able to, but it will take time..."

Penny, nodded, satisfied for now. "As long as you try, dad."

Richard's shame seemed to bubble up in force at her gentle, accepting nature. "Penny, I'm so sorry. I never meant for this, for any of this, to happen. I just..." he trailed, unsure of what he was going to say next. It was obvious to Penny that he wanted to explain his actions to her, explain why he did what he did. But now, with the aid of hindsight, he could not find an explanation.

But she did not care. All she had wanted to know was the truth behind what her father had done to Bolt, and now she had it. For now, that was all that mattered. "I know, dad. But it doesn't matter any more. What matters now is that Calico is gone, and his data's destroyed. We've won! Now, dad...came we go home?"

Richard looked at her daughter, before laughing half-heartedly at her mock-childish request. "Of course, Penny. Of course we can go..." But again, his voice seemed to trail off as his eyes focused on something behind Penny, his whole face quivering with a new horror. "Oh, God, no!"

Penny, instantly fearing another return of Calico, this time even angrier than before, spun around. At first, she stopped confused. There was no-one, and nothing there...what was going on? Richard had seen something that had spooked the life out of him, but what was...?

And then she saw it, and her jaw dropped in stunned horror. _Was there no end to this madness?_

Bolt's supercharged bark had done a lot more than the dog had intended. Even as Penny stared at the massive pattern of cracks that covered the rock wall, she now began to hear the sharp constant series of loud cracks as more of the cavern began to destabilise. Looking up, Penny's terror only grew when she saw the spider-web pattern of cracks had already extended all the way to the ceiling. Even as she watched, dust, along with small chunks of rock, were already beginning to fall from the ceiling, and the steel support struts were creaking, literally groaning with the effort of trying to support a roof which now seemed determined to fall.

"Oh, this is _bad_..." she breathed, not taking her eyes off the ceiling.

Richard followed her gaze, and his face fell in total, sheer terror as he saw the roof destabilising as well. "Holy - "

Penny was certain that her father just swore, but the word was lost beneath the massive _crack_ that sounded as a large chunk of rock detached from the ceiling, coming down fast...straight for them!

Richard moved aside almost instantly, but Penny was just a fraction slower, her eyes boggling at the rock above her. She may have been in grave danger several times over the past couple of weeks, but this was something entirely different, and as such, she simply froze. As she realised what was happening, she willed her body to move, but her horror planted her firmly to the spot, unable to move out of the way as the massive boulder fell lower and lower, mere seconds from crushing her flat into the steel floor.

But just as she came to her senses - too late - Bolt jumped up out of nowhere, diving into her chest, using his unnatural strength to push her, knocking the two of them aside...just in time. Just as Penny's back slammed hard into the steel floor, she felt, as much as heard, the massive crash as the boulder struck the floor, forcing Penny to grab Bolt and turn away, shielding him, and her face, with her body as smaller chunks of rock broke from the boulder and rained all over them, pelting them like hail.

When the rocks finally stopped raining down on Penny's back like so many punches, she released Bolt, standing up and looking back, needing to see what her faithful companion had saved her from. When she saw the boulder, she froze once more, astounded. The boulder had been split down the middle by the force of it's landing, and it had ripped a massive hole in the steel floor, leaving a crater in the exposed rock underneath. If that had landed on her, if Bolt had not pulled her aside when he did...Penny shuddered, casting the thought aside, and gave Bolt a quick, appreciative pat on the head, before turning to her father. "We have to get out!" The near-miss of the boulder had snapped something in her mind, and her fear, whilst still there, was no longer causing her to stall or freeze up. She knew that to freeze was to die, and she was determined, now that everyone was here and alive, that everyone was going to still be alive at the end of this.

So she started looking around, seeking a way out, knowing that unless they escaped this place within the next few minutes, they would all be crushed under the collapsing roof of the cavern...and the facility above it. Her first instinct was to go for the lifts, get back up above ground and simply run before the ground gave in, but one look at the small metal cubicles dashed that idea straight away. One lift had a massive, immovable boulder blocking it, rendering it inaccessible, while the only other one was bent and twisted out of shape. There was no chance that it was still working.

Richard, it seemed, had noticed this problem as well. "How are we going to get out without the lifts?" he said, although it seemed he was mostly talking to himself. "There's no other way out of this place!"

But Penny refused to believe it. Calico, whilst staking his entire career on technology, would not be so stupid as to make the lifts his only escape measure from this place. He would have had some other means of escape in place, in case of emergencies such as this one. Her search became more frantic as she took in everything the cavern held. The floor, the bridges spanning the river, the fried, destroyed computers...

_The river!_ "Dad, the river!" she cried, pointing to the entrance to the cave downstream. "Where does it go?"

"I have no idea!" Richard replied, just as loudly, his panic adding volume to his voice. "I don't even know where this facility is!"

Penny was taken by confusion and uncertainty, but only for a moment. "It doesn't matter where we are, or where this river goes! The point is, Calico would have left boats here, in case he needed to use the river! Come on!" she immediately ran along the river, heading upstream. Whilst in her drowning cage, she had noticed a single, lone door set into the wall, just beside the cave the river sourced from. it had not looked important enough to be any kind of exit or escape, but maybe, just maybe...

Her thoughts were dragged back to the here and now as the loud crashes of falling boulders became more and more frequent...and less and less distant. Looking up as she ran, weaving between fallen boulders, she could now see that massive holes were forming in the ceiling, massive gaps in the rock. Some of them were so big, Penny could actually see the white plaster of the walls and ceilings of the facility above! Penny had no idea how much longer the cavern would hold, but as she watched one of the support struts holding the ceiling up give way completely and fall with a loud booming splash, into the river, she knew that minutes were fast turning into seconds.

Finally, Penny managed to lead the group to the doorway. Not stopping to see if everyone was behind her, she simply grabbed the handle and pulled. But the door was locked, and it would not budge. "No!" She pounded on the door, slamming her fists, and her shoulder, into the metal block, but she only succeeded in bruising her arm.

"What's wrong?" Richard's call made Penny turn around, where she saw him, Bolt, and the two other animals behind her, waiting for her. But before Penny could reply to her father's question, he seemed to realise the answer. "Move!" he cried.

Penny obeyed without a second thought, moving aside as Richard came up to the door, and gave it a single, fierce kick. Once again, the door held firm, Richard yelling in pain before backing off, limping. "It's too strong, we can't get through!"

"We have to!" Penny cried. "It's our only..." her voice trailed off as a deafening crack resounded throughout the cavern, and another of the steel support struts on the ceiling fell away...only this one was directly above them! Penny once again heard her father swear explosively as her mind raged as the terrible turn of events. It just was not fair! At every stage of this adventure she had sent herself on to find her father, there was always something, or someone, determined to stop her. And even here, now, after she had found her father, and seen Calico defeated, the world continued to conspire to kill her. She could not help but wonder if, even if she made it out of this place, whether it would ever end. Would she finally be able to settle down and return to Silverlake with her father and Bolt...or would she be condemned to run from constant attempts on her life for all eternity, until one of them was successful?

But as the massive column of metal began to fall towards their shocked faces, Bolt once again sprang into action. Before Penny could do anything more than register the movement out of the corner of her eye, the White Shepherd leapt at the door head-first and, thanks in no small part to his powers, crashed straight through, blasting the metal door off its hinges as if it was made of cardboard.

"Quick!" Richard yelled, grabbing Penny, and dragging her with him through the door, the German Shepherd and cat following them...just in time. The second the German Shepherd's tail was through the doorway, the steel strut smashed into the ground the group had been occupying just seconds ago, the force of the impact so strong the massive bar of metal was twisted violently out of shape, bouncing away from the door.

Penny stared at the doorway for a brief moment, one again left in mild shock by the startling near-miss. But it passed quickly, and she finally turned around, looking at the room they had entered properly for the first time. She sighed with relief when she saw that her instinct had been correct. This room was, indeed, a small dock, with three small, propeller-powered boats sitting against the river's edge. All were painted in black and had Calico's familiar green eye on the sides, but Penny had no mind for such trivial things. She, and everyone else, had finally caught a break. _Finally, we can get out of here..._

But a series of loud thuds and crashes outside reminded her that time was against them. If they wanted to leave, they would have to leave right now.

Richard seemed to realise this too. "Come on!" he yelled to Penny as he helped lift all of the animals into the first boat, dragging himself in just as Penny leapt in alongside him. The moment she was in, she sat down in the nearest seat, dragging Bolt close to her as Richard yanked on the ignition cord for the little detachable motor. Looking at the boat properly for the first time, Penny noticed it was really nothing more than a fibreglass dinghy that was streamlined for marginally better performance. She highly doubted that the small craft could survive getting hit by a pebble, let along a massive boulder.

Then, as Richard continued to struggle with the ignition cord, Penny heard a loud, rumbling groan, actually feeling it reverberate through the air and ground, making her entire body tremble. She knew what that loud groan meant, and the fact that she could not see the cavern properly around the river made her fear all the more chilling. "Dad..."

"I know! I'm trying!" Richard snapped, fear obviously gripping him. As he continued trying to start the small motor, Penny gave the boat a small shake, trying to get it to start with nothing more than the force of her will. Strangely enough, her mental encouragement seemed to have an effect, because a moment later, Richard yelled in triumph as the motor finally kicked in, revving to life, the boat shuddering slightly as it idled, the small, but obviously powerful, engine waiting to go.

But as Richard threw off the mooring rope, freeing the boat to the river's current, a figure burst through the door to the boat room, his mismatched eyes blazing with untold hatred and fury as he saw his enemies getting away. Penny just stared at him, disbelief coursing through her. _How?_ she wondered. _How did he survive Bolt's bark?_

But that thought - along with all others in her mind - were torn away from her as Calico found her, and raised that long-handled pistol of his. Squealing in fright, she ducked below the rim of the dinghy, throwing herself, and Bolt, to the floor of the boat just as Calico unleashed a stream of bullets at her, Penny actually feeling them zip over her head, whilst hearing others punch into the sides of the fibreglass boat.

Penny faintly heard Richard yell, but she knew that there was nothing he could do. Calico was the only one with a weapon, which meant that he would be able to cut down anyone that tried to attack him. But seconds later Penny heard the boat engine's idle purr become a loud, grinding roar as Richard did the only thing he could do; bring the boat to life and run away!

But the bullets continued to fly as Penny felt the boat come to life beneath her, so Penny kept her head down, shielding Bolt with her own body as she waited. When the bullets finally stopped and Penny raised her head, she noticed that Richard was at the back of the boat, controlling the small, but obviously powerful engine, and that the boat was back in the main cavern, zipping through the water at a respectable speed already, aided by the current of the river. looking ahead, Penny saw the opposite cave entrance ahead, closing in. None of them had any idea what the underground river held in store for them, but it could not possibly be worse than...

But even as the thought crossed her mind, Penny looked up...just in time to see the roof of the cavern...the entire roof of rock, finally give way completely. The massive roof of rock crumbled, the remaining support struts finally giving way as the entire roof crumbled completely, beginning to rain down as a mass of boulders. Penny also noticed that, behind the rock, massive chunks of plaster and concrete were coming down as well. The _entire facility_ was collapsing into this underground cavern!

Penny looked ahead, towards the safety of the cave. but it seemed impossibly far away, and as the seconds dragged on and on, it also seemed that the boat was going way too slow. "Faster!" she called in panic, once again urging the boat on with her mind, willing it to get to the cave in time.

But once again, Penny mind was emptied of all thought as bullets sizzled through the air all around, ducking instinctively, she looked back, to see Calico, in his own boat, controlling the motor with one hand, and firing his strange, automatic pistol with the other. He was chasing them! _He's not going to stop until we're all dead,_ Penny realised. But then, if the boats did not make it into the cave in time, they would all be dead anyway.

But in the end, Penny felt completely helpless as she dragged herself low in the boat once more, pulling not only Bolt, but the other two animals down with her as well. If they were Bolt's friends, then she would protect them as well. With the three animals around her, all she could do was sit back, and silently pray that they made it out of the cavern before...

And then, miraculously, Penny saw what little light the cavern still had fade away as their little boat reached the cave! But they were not safe yet, as Calico's dinghy, moving much faster than theirs, zipped into the cave right behind them, the mad leader of Calico Technology firing his pistol wildly at them as the roof of the cavern finally slammed into the ground, sealing up the river behind them, and plunging them all into darkness as the two boats raced through the mysterious underground river...in a chase to the death.


	60. Chapter 59: The Final Chase

**Chapter 59**

**The Final Chase**

Chaos...absolute, unrestrained chaos.

At least that was what Bolt thought of as the little boat he was riding in hurtled through the dangerously narrow cave at ridiculous speeds, powered by Calico's modified motor, and the swift, strong current of the river itself. Up ahead, Bolt could not tell what lay in wait for them. The boat had a light on the front that had automatically turned on in the darkness of the cave, but the boat was moving that fast that Bolt simply had no idea what was ahead. To either side, Bolt could see the walls of the underground river, the smooth, shining rock zipping by so fast it was just a shadowy blur.

But it was behind that Bolt knew the greatest danger lay. Behind their little boat, Calico's identical vehicle closed in, the mad, green-eyed man firing his strange pistol wildly, in a deranged, desperate attempt to kill them, and stop them all from escaping.

"Dad?" Penny's fearful call tore at Bolt's heart. He wanted to comfort her, but how did he? How could he comfort her, when there was danger and death surrounding them completely? He tried to snuggle closer to her as they lay on the boat's floor, tried to remind her that he was still here, that he would still protect her. But if Penny felt the gesture, she never responded to it, instead cowering as more bullets slammed into the fibreglass hull, punching holes in it, the bullets zipping all around them. Bolt knew that, dangerous as this situation was, it could be a whole lot worse...and would be, if he did not find a way of stopping Calico's mad bullet spray soon.

His fear for Penny safety, along with everyone else's, removed Bolt's sense of self-preservation, allowing him to stand, moving to the back of the boat, for one, last, final face-off against the man who was so desperately trying to kill them all. He was dimly aware of voices calling him back, obviously trying to warn him of the danger, but he ignored them. He knew, all too well, that if he did not do something now, they would all die anyway.

But what could he do? He went through all the powers he knew, throwing each one away in turn. Heat-Vision...he could not even get it to activate in situations like this, there was simply too much movement. Strength and speed...he needed to be able to reach his target, and he did not like his chances of jumping onto Calico's boat. Super-Bark...it might work, but it was out of the question. With the damage he'd done last time with it, using it here and now would simply kill them all.

None of his powers gave him any way of safely dealing with Calico! He silently cursed his bad luck. In this situation, it seemed Calico had all the advantages, and despite the man's deranged, mindless state of rage, he seemed determined to use every one of them to the fullest. Calico's boat continued to close in on them, and as it did, Calico's bullet sprays got less and less wild, more and more of them slamming into the fibreglass boat instead of the water around it. Bolt though fast, trying to come up with some way, any way, of finishing off the mad doctor once and for all, but for once, Bolt realised that there simply was nothing. He just had to accept it, accept the simple, horrible fact that, for once, he was completely powerless to do anything...

"Bolt!" Penny cried, finally breaching Bolt's raging mind. Snapping his head around, Bolt was horrified to find Penny standing up, clambering over the boat towards him, Mindy and Mittens right behind her.

Fear for their safety drove Bolt into a state of severe panic. "Penny! Mindy! Mittens! Get back, all of you!"

Mindy and Mittens responded, once more diving to the floor of the boat just as more bullets whizzed over their heads. But Penny, obviously not able to understand him, simply kept coming, her desire to protect Bolt just as strong, if not stronger, than his desire to protect them all.

Bolt's panic reached fever-pitch as he called to Penny again, only to be ignored once more as she continued to clamber towards him, completely exposed to Calico's sight. _No! Please, just let her stop, just let her hide..._

But then, just as Penny reached him and made to dive back down again, reaching for him in a desperate attempt to protect him, the thing Bolt had been fearing the most since this high-speed aquatic chase began happened. Time seemed to slow enormously as Bolt heard Penny yell out in agony, her arm clutching desperately at some part of her body as she slowly fell to the floor of the boat, some unseen bullet wound bringing her down with such startling suddenness, Bolt needed a moment to register it even happened.

But as her body crashed to the floor of the dinghy, Bolt's mind finally caught up, and his terror and fear became too strong. "PENNY!" But even as he made to jump to her side, to see if she was okay, Richard pushed past him, determined to make sure that his daughter was safe as well. Knowing that Penny was in as good a set of hands as she could get, Bolt's attention instead focused on another target...Calico.

In that moment, all of Bolt's emotions; his fear for Penny's very life, concern over Mindy and Mittens, and their safety, worry for his own self-preservation, and every other sceric of feeling he had in his canine body transformed in an instant. For a single, fleeting moment, all he felt was a pure, uncontrollable, unfathomable rage...and all of it was aimed squarely at Calico.

Bolt leapt up onto the back of the little dinghy. He did not care about the side-effects now. If he had to Super-Bark Calico to death, he had to do it. But before he could even think of using his powers, an unearthly, deafening roar escaped his lips, a channel through which all of his rage and hatred was being funnelled. He had to release this emotion, it was too much for him to contain alone. He noticed Calico hesitate at the primal, instinctive sound, but only for a second.

That second was all Bolt needed.

What happened next, Bolt had no idea how it happened. His powers seemed to act on their own accord, blazing to life without a thought from him, and focusing all their strength on the mark on his side. Confused, Bolt looked down at the mark, noticing, with surprised confusion, that a blue glow was beginning to form on it. But Bolt's inadvertent movement shifted his body slightly, so that the mark was now facing Calico.

That was all the encouragement his powers needed.

For a split-second, Bolt's powers became completely focused inside his mark, the blur glow becoming so strong, Bolt had to look away. Then, just as Calico raised his pistol once more, now so close there was no chance of missing, the White Shepherd's powers exploded from him. Blue bolts of electricity sprayed from his mark, little bolts of lightning shooting off in all directions. They smashed into the walls and roof of the underground cavern, removing small chunks of rock from the impact point. Most of them zipped straight into the river, the water between the two boat glowing with electricity for a brief moment. But one, single bolt, powered straight into Calico, and his boat.

Calico's body tensed for a single moment as the bolt struck home, every muscle in his body contracting violently at the sudden burst of electricity. His pistol fired, but his arm went wild, and none of the bullets came anywhere near Bolt's boat. Then Calico was blasted off his feet by the electric charge, sent crashing to the floor of his boat, exceptionally lucky not to fly straight off, into the water.

But he was not dead. Bolt, amazed by this new display of power that he could not explain, was shocked even further when Calico got back up. But he had lost his gun now, and he was slow, his movements stiff. The shock may not have killed him, but by the look Calico's body was presenting, it had hurt...badly.

Then the second effect of Bolt's lightning storm revealed itself in all it's glory; it's effect on Calico's boat. The boat engine had long since died, the electric systems in the motor unable to handle such a gross overload of power. With the engine completely destroyed, Calico had no way of controlling his boat as it veered wildly, fast losing ground on Bolt's vessel. But then, just as Calico realised what had happened, and his eyes boggled in horror, the boat swerved wildly to the side, and smashed straight into the wall of the underground river, still moving at a considerable speed.

The impact was too much for the fragile boat. The fibreglass hull simply cracked under the impact, snapping cleanly in two. The two halves bounced violently off the rock wall, with so much force that they actually left the water, becoming airborne in the tight confines of the underground tunnel. Bolt watched, with a small sense of satisfaction, as Calico was hurled violently from his half of the boat, screaming as he was thrown into the raging river. There was a single splash as he hit the water and went under...after which he never surfaced. Bolt continued to watch for any sign of him for a short time, before finally feeling content that Calico was not going to come back back this time, and finally relaxing, his rage slowly ebbing away.

As it did, Bolt suddenly remembered Penny, and all the others. With a cry, he turned around, leaping back to Penny's side. She was still on the floor of the boat, but she seemed okay as she tried to throw off Richard's worried search for the wound that had brought her down.

"I'm fine, dad, really," she said, holding up her left arm. The sleeve of her shirt had a ragged tear in it, just below the shoulder, which was already stained red with blood. It seemed the bullet had simply gazed her arm, leaving a minor, if painful, cut. Bolt heaved a massive sigh of relief, before turning to Mindy and Mittens. "Are you two okay?" he asked as they looked up at him.

"Yeah...yeah, we're fine," Mittens replied, although her voice said she was more than a little nervous. "But...what did you do back there?"

Bolt was about to reply when Penny's startled, panicking voice brought his attention back to her. "Dad...who's driving the boat?"

Everyone froze. That one simple question brought everyone back to reality, reminded them all that they were hurtling through a very narrow underground river at high speed...in a boat that no-one was driving! Richard reacted first, diving back for the controls at the back of the boat. Everyone else, Bolt included, spun forward, looking to see what danger the wayward boat was in.

In the end, it turned out to be really bad. Up ahead, there was a bend in the tunnel, approaching extremely fast...and the boat was going to miss the turn! Bolt spun back to see how Richard was faring, spotting him just as he grabbed the motor controls and fought to bring the boat back under control, fighting to both slow it down and turn it in time with the corner. But as Bolt looked back, feeling the little craft finally begin to respond, slowing down and turning marginally, he could see that the bend in the river was still approaching too fast. And in that single, fleeting moment, Bolt could tell that it was no use...the boat was going to crash.

Richard could see the outcome, too. "Everyone! Down!" No-one bothered to second-guess him, with Penny, Bolt, Mittens and Mindy all diving to the floor once again, Penny grabbing Bolt with one arm, and shielding her head with the other. Bolt had no idea what was going to happen, all he knew for sure was that it was not going to be pleasant, and would almost certainly result in them all getting very wet.

Bolt struggled against Penny's vice-like grip, and managed to raise his head a little, just to see what was going on. He ducked his head back down almost immediately as he saw that the boat, still slowing down and now turning, was rushing towards the wall at a steep angle. It would not hit it directly, but rather bounce against it. But they were still going too fast, which meant that even a grazing impact was going to be very violent.

Bolt heard Richard yell, finally giving up on the controls and diving down to the ground himself, and pulled himself closer to Penny, calling out to Mittens and Mindy as he did so. Whatever happened now, he would not allow himself to get separated from them, not after all this. Too much had happened, they had come too far to be undone by a simple boat crash.

Then the boat slammed into the wall...hard. Bolt heard a loud crack come from somewhere in front of him as the fibreglass hull cracked under the impact. An instant later, he felt the impact whip through his body as the boat - the whole boat - was thrown out of the water by the bone-jarring impact. The left side of the boat tilted upwards, pushed that way by the wall and its own momentum. Bolt's stomach lurched as he felt the boat roll over with startling suddenness, wincing as he heard the panic-striken cries of everyone else on board. But the feeling of helplessness barely lasted, before he felt his body thrown from the boat like a rag-doll, crying out as he felt his body slip away from Penny's grip, almost instantly losing sight of her.

"Bolt, no!" Those two words were the last thing Bolt heard before his body struck water, the hard impact feeling more like a punch to the stomach as his body went under. The very instant, he felt himself being pulled along by the swift current, and as his body tumbled through the rushing water, he completely lost his sense of direction. His lungs already beginning to burn, he had no idea which way was up or down, and as such, had no idea how to get to the surface to breathe. All he could see was inky blackness, occasionally broken by a bunch of bubbles.

_No!_ he thought desperately. _No, I will not drown again! I will make it...we will all make it!_

And even as the thought crossed his mind, the inky blackness gave way to dazzling, rippling light...the tunnel had ended, the river was out in the open! Realising this, Bolt swam desperately, heading towards the light, and faint warmth, and was quickly rewarded when he finally breached the surface. Taking a deep, gasping breath, he took a few moments to fully catch his breath before looking about himself.

He smiled as he saw green, steep hills of grass on either side of the river, which had now widened and slowed considerably. Further downstream, between the hills, he could see the white sands, and endless, glittering blue of the ocean, while behind him, there was nothing but a tall, looming cliff, which the river came from. He had no idea where he was, and neither did he care as he dragged himself towards the shore. All that mattered was finding the others, making sure they were all alive, that they had all escaped Calico's facility successfully.


	61. Chapter 60: Adventure's End

**Chapter 60**

**Adventure's End**

By the time Bolt reached the edge of the river, and desperately clawed his soaked body up onto the rocky bank, he was using his powers to keep himself from giving in to exhaustion and drowning. He had been through so much today, his body had been put through so much exertion and pain, and now it was on the verge on giving in for the day, even though the sun suggested that it was still morning.

But finally he dragged himself far enough up the bank so that he small, lapping waves could not reach him, and there, he finally let go of his powers, and flopped onto his belly on the warm rocks, his mind completely blank with exhaustion as he let the sun begin the task of drying and warming him.

But even as his mind began to drift away in the relaxing warmth, he heard a loud voice calling, snapping his mind - and his memory - back to life. He looked up, trying to discern where the voice had come from. But he had not been concentrating, so he had lost the voice before he could fix his attention. "Penny!" he called, knowing who the voice belonged to, and trying to get her to hear him.

"Bolt!" the answering call brought a massive sense of relief to Bolt's entire body, filling him with a new energy, revitalising him as much as the good, long nap he seriously needed. But he shook the lingering fatigue off; there would be plenty of time to rest once everyone was okay. This time noticing that the voice was coming from some place further up-river, Bolt looked to his right, looking along the bank. Sure enough, Bolt was overjoyed to see both Penny and Richard standing there on the bank. Both of them were as soaked through as Bolt was, and Penny was clutching her injured arm, her face grimacing with pain, even through the smile plastered on her face at the knowledge that her dog was safe, and unhurt.

Bolt gave one more, happy bark in her direction, before focusing his attention on his two remaining friends, who were nowhere in sight. "Mittens! Mindy!" Panic began to settle in as he got no response. Their boat had crashed mere seconds before he had appeared in the light...so why hadn't they appeared yet? Bolt looked at the hole in the cliff that the river poured out of, looking to see if they had only just left the tunnel.

But as Bolt looked, the remains of their boat drifted out of the tunnel. It was a mess, bullet holes lining the fibreglass hull, which drifted upside-down, a massive chunk of the hull missing at the front of the boat, obviously from where it had hit the tunnel wall. But the boat was all that appeared, and as Bolt looked around the wreckage, searching desperately for any sign of his friends, he could see nothing but small pieces of fibreglass, drifting lazily alongside the main wreck, none of the mess having a care for the friends Bolt was now certain he had lost.

The realisation hitting Bolt hard, he just stared at the cave entrance, devoid of all emotion. He had been through so much in the last few days, his emotions were simply exhausted. There was no grief, no lingering sense of sadness for the cat and dog that had helped him so much. There was simply a cruel, punishing emptiness inside him, a hole his friends had left, that would never be filled again.

He slowly, silently remembered his friends as he sat there, trying to come to grips with everything that had happened. Mittens...he could not help but sniff in sad amusement at the fact that the two of them had met as hated enemies, only to be brought together as friends by the adventure. And in the end, Mittens had repaid her wrongs by not only changing her ways, but helping Bolt to stop Calico, even when he had tried to protect her. In the end, no matter what anyone else thought or knew, Mittens had done enough, in his eyes at least, to be forgiven for everything she had done whilst serving Calico. And for him, that knowledge was enough. And Mindy...Bolt's thoughts stalled at the thought of the German Shepherd. The two of them had met under strange circumstances. But she was the reason Bolt was still here. She had saved him not only from Zippy and Hairballs, but also from himself, and his own raging guilt at his past actions. Bolt realised that, even if she were still alive, there was simply no way he could repay her for everything she had done. But the thing that tugged at Bolt the most about her was something he could have sworn he heard her say, while he was drifting, on the verge of death, having nearly drowned trying to free Penny. Had she actually said it, or was his sad, empty mind just playing tricks on him?

But before Bolt could think about it any further, his mind jumped to life as he saw a shadowy shape emerge from the cave, with a second shape right behind it. Joy welled up inside him as he instinctively darted forward, unable to believe that Mindy and Mittens had survived...although how they had fallen so far behind was impossible -

Then his thoughts crashed to a despairing halt once again as he saw the shadowy shapes for what they really were...the two smashed halves of Calico's boat. This time the disappointment was too much for Bolt, and his emotions flared to life, grief and despair creeping back into him, reminding him of the time he had nearly drowned himself in the ocean. He tried to think of other things, tried to turn his mind away from the sickening misery and depression that was welling up in him, but he knew that it was hopeless. He made to turn away from the boat, unable to bear staring at the river any longer. The two halves of the boat were teasing him, reminding him of what could have emerged from the river in their place, but instead revealing nothing more than twisted, broken pieces of fibreglass, with shadowy shapes of their remains all around them...

Bolt froze, still half-facing the river, and snapped his head back. A little hope flared in him again, but this time he held it down. He did want want to have to endure the crushing disappointment of last time again. But this time he had actually seen what he had thought he saw, and joy welled up in him as he confirmed it completely.

For there, on top of the wrecked half-boat, was Mittens, her sodden fur standing on end as she clutched the ruined boat with all her strength, her eyes darting, looking at the water all around her as if it was poison. Bolt had never seen such fear in her before. But he quickly remembered, through his mental haze of joy, that most cats were terrified of water. But he did not dwell on the though, for the next sight made his joy spread to every corner of not just his mind, but his body as well, leaving him filled with a strange, exhilarating warmth. For Mindy was there as well, clutching the side of the boat with her mouth as she swam along, using the wreck to help keep her head above the water.

Finally, Bolt could contain his joy no longer. He bounded into the shallows of the river, barking madly, calling to them. He did not bother with words, for his joyous mind simply simply refused to think of any. All that mattered was that they were alive...they were all alive. He continued barking with all his might as he jumped around in the shallows, his joy bubbling even higher as he saw the two animals notice him. Mindy instantly began to bark back, finally pulling herself from the wrecked boat and swimming straight for the shore. Mittens, on the other hand, managed to acknowledge Bolt's calls with a quick nod, but seemed reluctant to leave the boat. It was obvious that her fear of water was strong.

But in the end, either she overcame her fear, or she realised that the boat fragment was not going to head to shore by itself, so she finally, hesitantly, jumped off the boat wreck, swimming with quick, jerky strokes. As she came close, Bolt could not help but laugh as he heard her desperate, panicky breathing. After all the danger they had faced, it just seemed ridiculous that this seemingly fearless cat could be brought to her knees by something as trivial as water.

But, seeing that she was fine, despite her fear, Bolt left her to her own devices, becoming lost in that glorious joy as Mindy reached the shore, the two of them rushing at each other, before stopping short, laughing and dancing around each other.

"We made it!" Mindy cried, obviously as overcome by joy as Bolt was.

"It's over! It's finished!" And Bolt knew, as he said those words, that it was true. Calico was nowhere to be seen. Whatever had happened to him, his reign of terror and fear over all their lives was finished. He would trouble them no more.

Finally, the two of them stopped jumping around each, and simply sat there, staring at each other. "I...I thought you had...in the tunnel...I thought you and Mittens..."

Mindy stopped his struggles with her own voice. "I know..." Then a sly smile appeared on her face. "It doesn't feel good, does it, thinking your friends are dead?"

Bolt saw the joke behind the words, and played along, chuckling slightly. "No...no it doesn't. I guess that makes us even, then?"

Mindy's smile was more than an answer for Bolt, as Mittens finally reached the shore. She immediately bounded away from the water, shaking herself off violently as she went. "Never! I'm never going near water ever again!"

As she turned to face Bolt and Mindy, looking for their answers, they fought to hide their amused smiles from her. But Bolt could tell by the look on the cat's face that both of them were failing miserably. "What?" she demanded. "What's so funny?!"

Bolt decided to relieve her suffering...they had all been through enough of it. "You...you can fight humans and animals, and both at once, without showing a hint of fear, yet you tremble at the thought of going for a swim!" But even as he said it, he could not help but break into laughter once more. "It just doesn't make sense."

"It's a cat thing, I can't help it!" Mittens cried defensively, shaking herself off once more. But even she could not help being swept along by all the general happiness. "But it doesn't matter. I'm back on land now, and it's all over. You did it, Bolt! You saved Penny, and the...the other guy. Calico's gone, and he's not coming back!"

At the mention of Penny, Bolt turned, looking over to where she and Richard were sitting, recuperating. She was looking at him, surrounded by his newest friends...and she was smiling. Noticing that he was looking at her, she turned away. Bolt took the gesture as a sign that he could stay with them for now...because there would plenty of time for the two of them later.

"So, what happens now?"

Mindy's simple question brought everyone's joy crashing back down. It was obvious what she meant, she knew that Bolt, with Penny and Richard, would have to return home, to Silverlake...but what would Mindy and Mittens do? Mindy was miles from Pentland Beach, which meant that she would struggle to get home, if she could at all. And Mittens, having defected from Calico, had no home of any kind to go to. Their adventure was the only things giving his two friends a purpose, Bolt realised. And now that it was over, their futures were far from certain.

"I don't know," Bolt finally said. "I have to stay with Penny, but...what will you two do?"

"I don't know," Mindy echoed. "I can't go back to Pentland Beach, I hate that place. Too many bad memories, but...I don't know where else to go."

"I do." Everyone turned to Mittens, curious to see what solution she had found. "While under Calico, I was forced to live as an alleycat, and to travel a lot. Wherever we are, we must be near Calico's facility, which means we must be close to that massive human city, Los Angeles. I've heard it's meant to be a paradise for stray animals." She looked at Mindy pointedly at this. "We can both head there."

Mindy seemed to agree, but Bolt was devastated by the idea. He had grown close to the small, lean cat and the mysterious German Shepherd...he could almost feel his heart falling apart at the prospect of having to leave them. For a brief moment, he was hit with indecision. He had two loyalties; one to Penny, the other to these two. Suddenly he realised he had a significant choice to make: Did he head back to Silverlake with Penny, and reclaim his old life...or did he head off with Mittens and Mindy to Los Angeles?

In the end, Bolt realised his indecision was pointless, he had always known where his heart truly lay...with Penny. But it still hurt to know that, in deciding to head back to Silverlake, he would have to leave his two new friends behind. He decided, in a spur-of-the-moment piece of desperation, to try one last idea. "What if you two came back to Silverlake with me?" he said. "I'm sure Penny would be more than happy to have you two around as well!"

Bolt's final hopes of keeping the group he had formed together were dashed away as he saw the faces of the dog and cat fall. He had known it was hopeless, but it had been worth a try. And sure enough, moments later, both of them gave the explanations he knew they already had.

Mittens was first. "Bolt, I know you've shown me a lot of things, revealed a lot of lies I believed to be true. But...I don't think I'm ready to be with a person again. I still can't shake the thought of what my last owners tried to do to me. I'm sorry, Bolt, but I need more time. Besides, I don't think I could live the quiet life again...I've grown fond of my alleycat ways." She smiled at her small attempt at humour, but the smile was forced, and no-one was amused.

Sighing, already knowing what she was going to say, Bolt turned to Mindy. "And you?"

Mindy sighed right back. It was obvious that what she was going to say hurt her, even if it was the honest truth. "Bolt...I can't. I'm still learning...still trying to come to grips with my past. I need time, Bolt...and it's time I need to spend alone. I'm sorry, Bolt, but I have to go the Los Angeles. Maybe...maybe if I see you again, I'll come back with you then, okay?"

Bolt knew that Mindy was just trying to give him some, small comfort to ease the painful parting that was going to follow this, but he also knew that there was almost no chance that the three of them would ever meet again. Mindy may have said that, once in Los Angeles, she would part with Mittens and go her own way, but at least they had the comfort of knowing that they were close by each other. But Bolt would be going back to Silverlake, many miles inland...he knew that he would almost certainly never see Los Angeles ever again...which meant that he would never see Mindy or Mittens ever again.

Finally, Bolt could not take it any longer. He was dragging this out, delaying the inevitable for too long, and it was tearing him apart. He had to leave now...otherwise he never would. Turning back to Mittens, he moved to hug her, then realised that a dog as big as himself would be likely to crush her. So instead, he simply laid a single paw on her small shoulder. "Well..." he choked, struggling to find words to sum up everything he wanted to say to the little cat in front of him. "...Mittens, I...I just want you to know that, everything you may have done for Calico, to help his plan...none of it matters any more. I just want you to know that, to me, you have more than made up for everything you did. Thank you, Mittens...for everything."

Mittens stared blankly at Bolt, obviously a little taken aback by the words. then she finally found her voice. "I highly doubt that I've made up for everything, but thank you, Bolt." She hesitated, seeming to toy with some idea, then abruptly came to a decision. "Ah, come here, pooch!" And with that, she leapt up, standing up precariously on her hind legs as she wrapped her forelegs around Bolt's neck, hugging him as best she could in the awkward position. Bolt was stunned by the affection the cat was showing in this moment, but in the end was swept along by it, and wrapped a single paw around her shoulders, returning the hug gently. "I'll miss you, Bolt," Mittens finally whispered.

"I'll miss you, too," Bolt replied hoarsely, the emotion of the parting already starting to get to him.

After a few more moments, the dog and cat parted, Mittens stepping back and sitting quietly in the background as Bolt turned to Mindy, who now looked like she was on the verge of a complete emotional breakdown. When she spoke, the words were strangled, as though she was forcing them out of a throat that was desperate not to talk. "You...you take care...of yourself...okay?"

"Of course," Bolt said, attempting to sound light-hearted. But his voice was not much better than Mindy's. He realised that, if he wanted to say anything, he was going to have to say it now. But what could he say? Mindy held a strange place in Bolt's heart. Mittens was a good friend, and Penny was his person, and therefore his closest and best companion. But Mindy was...something else. Bolt did not know exactly where his feelings for the German Shepherd lay. He regarded her as a close friend, certainly, but there was something...more, to it than that. Bolt had a feeling he knew what it was, but was not sure if it could be possible. In the end, he forced his awkward feelings aside, and looked back at Mindy.

"Mindy, I...I can see now, that if it wasn't for you and Mittens, I would never have gotten Penny back...so, thank you." Mindy seemed to be about to say something, but he pressed on, knowing that the moment he stopped, the moment he hesitated, he would not be able to find his voice again. "But if it wasn't for you, that morning on Pentland Beach...if you weren't there to help me...I would not even be here now...if we have to go our separate ways now, I just...I just want you to know that...you saved my life, Mindy, in a way that no-one else will ever be able to."

"Bolt..." Mindy finally managed to cut in. But now that she had her chance to speak, she seemed to struggle with her words and thoughts as well. She seemed to decide on something, then change her mind just as she was about to speak. but finally, after a few moments, she found her voice once more. "Listen, Bolt, I just want you to know that...you say I saved your life...but you saved mine. You showed me what I could be...you showed me my past in a new way...and you have allowed me to at least begin to move on. I can never thank you enough for that..."

Bolt managed to get her to stop. He wanted to say something...but lost the thought before he could speak it. In the end, he just moved forward and slowly embraced the German Shepherd that now meant so much to him, feeling some small comfort through the pain of the parting when she hugged him back. "None of it matters, now," he whispered softly. "What matters is I'll miss you, Mindy...every day."

"Me too, Bolt..." Mindy whispered back. Her voice suggested that she had something more to say, but it never came. All Bolt got from the expectation was two more words. "Me too..."

Finally, after what felt like a long time, Bolt finally let go of Mindy. He stared at her for a few moments, trying to think of something to say or do. But then he realised he was stalling for more time again, and decided that, at last, the moment had come. "Goodbye...both of you. It was fun, you know, even if it wasn't for too long." To Bolt, it seemed like such a feeble farewell for two of his closest friends, but it was all his sad, depressed mind could come up with.

But it did not seem to faze either of his friends as they, too mumbled their reluctant goodbyes. Finally, the moment having arrived, Bolt turned around and slowly made his way towards Penny. He knew that, right now, he should be feeling thrilled. He had his person, and her father, back, and together they had defeated Calico. So now they would never be bothered by the madman again, and they could return to Silverlake, and start their old lives once more...return to what they had been. But as he made his way back towards his person, his head dropped, and his tail dragged along the ground. He may have gotten Penny back, but in doing so, he had lost two new friends, who he had grown very close to. It was almost too much to bear. It did not matter where he went from here, his heart would always be torn in two. But Penny was his person, and that fact alone made her worth more than any -

"Bolt!"

Bolt turned around at Mindy's voice, finding her running back towards him. For a moment, Bolt hoped that she had Mittens had changed their minds, and that they were going to come with him, but Mindy's face was still sad, and Mittens had not come back with her. Mindy had obviously just thought of one last thing she wanted to say to him before they left. "Yes?" Bolt asked as Mindy stopped in front of him.

But Mindy did not answer immediately. She was once again struggling with her raging emotions. She had obviously decided to come back on a spur-of-the-moment decision, and was only now second-guessing herself. But in the end, she seemed to cast aside her doubts, and went along with whatever it was she had decided to say. "When you...when you were dying, back in that cave...I...said things to you, just before you woke up. Did you...did you hear any of that?"

Bolt froze, remembering back to his hazy half-visions as he had drifted on the verge of death. During that time, he had heard Mindy's voice, and he had pondered on what he had heard...but he had dismissed the voice as a strange figment of his delusions. But now, right here, at the moment of their parting, were those words actually going to be confirmed for him?

But he took too long in thinking over the implications of Mindy's question, and as such, Mindy continued on as if he had said 'no'. "I pleaded with you to come back, Bolt. I begged and I pleaded for you not to die, for you to stay here, in this world, where I could still be with you. I could not bear to lose you. We may be parting now, but at least I know that there is a chance for us to meet again. If you had died, you would have gone somewhere where I know I could not have followed."

Bolt sighed. So it had not been a strange delusion after all. "Yes, I heard it...at least I think I did. But why - ?"

Mindy cut him off. "I could never quite figure out why I had said all that. I mean, I wanted you to live, certainly...but now I know why I was so desperate to bring you back, so desperate to keep you in this world..." she trailed off as she moved closer to Bolt, leaving him feeling rather awkward as her muzzle cam right up to his ear. His mind conjured up a thousand things she could say to him, right there. But one kept coming back, kept insisting on being noticed, but was it possible?

Before he could even think of anything more, Mindy whispered four words that Bolt, even in his wildest dreams, never thought he'd hear any dog whisper to him, about him. "...I love you, Bolt."

And before Bolt could even process the words, even begin to understand their meaning, Mindy moved even closer, licking him softly across his cheek. The ultimate symbol of her affection was so startling, so sudden, that Bolt was left frozen on the spot, unable to move for several seconds. When he finally did register everything that happened, he nearly fell over.

A thousand thoughts whirled through his mind at once, leaving him dazed beyond all coherent thought. but within a few moments, Mindy startling revelation of her love for him cemented itself firmly in Bolt's mind, and he regained control of himself. Looking up at Mindy, she was looking at him, concern over her face. She seemed, to Bolt, to be worried that she might have gone too far, that even those four words had said far too much, at the moment of their parting.

But Bolt actually managed to send a genuine smile in her direction. Because, in the wake of this small kiss, he had seen his feelings for Mindy for what they were. It was more than friendship he felt...he knew, without doubt, that he was in love with Mindy. Reacting on instinct, he stepped forward and, before Mindy could stop him, licked her back, showing her that he felt the same way about her that she felt about him. Bolt's smile widened as he saw the same look of stunned happiness that he had felt on Mindy's face. Capitalising on this, he took the time to whisper back to her; "I love you, too, Mindy."

Mindy recovered from her shock quickly, beaming brightly at Bolt, before wrapping him up in another hug. But even as Bolt hugged her back, he knew that this embrace was different from their last one, or the one he had given Mittens. There was a deeper affection to it...a love that would never be quelled, no matter the situation. And even there, on the verge of parting with her forever, Bolt was content. He knew that, even though they would be separated by hundreds of miles of land, and would almost certainly never see each other again, that their thoughts would always be with each other, and that, despite their separation, they could take comfort in the fact that they knew, without question, that they were all safe.

"I'll miss you, Bolt...every day."

"I know...and I will too."


	62. Chapter 61: The Old Ways

**Chapter 61**

**The Old Ways**

"Wait, stop...stop!"

Finally, after further prompting from Richard, the taxi driver pulled over. The moment the car had come to a stop, Penny yanked the door open, wincing slightly as she used her injured arm, which had since been cleaned and bandaged, although it still hurt every time she put too much pressure on it. She waited, holding the door open so that Bolt could leap across her lap and out onto the dirt beside the small road, before following him out herself.

"Penny, what is it?" Richard's voice was concerned, but not overly worried. Penny realised that he had probably already guessed what she was doing.

Penny shut the back door of the taxi, then leant in through the open window to respond. "Dad, I'm gonna walk from here, okay?"

Richard sighed. "I'm guessing you'll just walk off if I say no?" Both of them smiled at each other, confirming the answer. "Oh, all right. Might as well show everyone you're back. Just remember what we talked about, okay?"

Penny sighed. "Yeah, I know...and I will."

"Good." Richard smiled a little wider. "See you when you get home, then." With that, he turned back to the taxi driver, and within seconds, the taxi trundled off the mark, heading off down the road. Penny watched it go for a few moments, before focusing her sights on the taxi's destination, a few hundred yards distant; Silverlake.

Finally, after nearly two weeks, she was home again. Penny struggled to comprehend it. Silverlake had seemed like such a distant memory lately. It seemed impossible that only two weeks had passed since she and Bolt had begun their desperate search for her father and left...it felt more like two years. But still, here she was, back home at last, ready to take back her old life.

But could she? Could Penny, after all this adventure, really just go back to her old life with Richard and Bolt? While it had not seemed that impossible initially, she had realised, in the two days since they had begun the journey home, that it was not going to be so simple. She had changed...they had all changed. Penny knew that her adventure had changed her, completely and irrevocably. She was stronger, now...not just physically, but mentally as well. She was more sure of herself than ever before. But she was also more cautious. Everywhere she went, her eyes were now constantly monitoring he surroundings, looking for any sign of danger, any sign that Calico's men were after her once more. She knew that she should not bother, but still could not help it. She had spent so much time in constant danger, it had become instinctive to look out for it now.

In the end, Penny realised the truth. She could get back to her old life, start off where things had been left off. The new school term was starting next week, she realised, smiling with amusement at the fact that her adventure had occurred over the school holidays, and therefore had not really interrupted any major events in her life. But the startling truth was, even if she settled back into her old life once more, things were going to be very different from now on. She had simply been through too much, and had changed too much. Only time would tell exactly what had changed about her.

Penny looked down at Bolt, thinking about how he had changed. Of all three of the family, Bolt was the one that had changed the most. But it was not just his powers, and Penny knew that. His powers were a significant change, certainly, but the biggest changes were in his mind. Ever since they had left Los Angeles and headed for home, Bolt had seemed slightly depressed, and was constantly trying to look back towards the massive city. It had not taken Penny long to realise that the German Shepherd and small, black cat that had arrived with him to rescue her were some friends he had made along his journey, and that he had been forced to leave them behind in order to come back home with her. Penny had no idea what Bolt had been through while she was in Calico's hands, but she knew that, whatever had happened to her beloved dog, he had changed. She was no longer the sole focal point of his life. And that, Penny knew, was a good thing. Bolt would remain utterly protective of her, and almost never leave her side, she knew that would not change. But she also knew that, now, he would start behaving just a little more like a normal dog, and perhaps even make some other, new friends here.

But in the end, it did not matter. Penny knew that, no matter how their lives had been changed by their adventure, the point was that they had their old lives back and, changed or not, they could return to a sense of normality once more. With that thought, and a single, sharp whistle to Bolt, the two of them began the trek back into Silverlake.

Within minutes the girl and her dog were once again walking through the small streets of Silverlake, just as they had done hundreds of times before. But this time Penny felt weird, like she simply did not belong back here after everything she had done. She had seen the world, and many of the wonders, and terrors, the massive place offered...how could she fit back in to a small, out-of-the-way country like this ever again?

But as she awkwardly wandered through the streets, several people started calling out in greeting to her, waving and asking where she had been for the last two weeks. Penny smiled, waved and replied back, and suddenly all awkwardness was gone. She was being forced to lie about her adventure, instead making up some story about heading to Calico's Los Angeles plant with Richard for some work thing, only for them to be caught in the disasterous collapse of the facility. The two of them had decided to go along with the media hype, which was stating that the facility's collapse had been due to 'poor building design', thanks in no small part to the massive underground cavern. The two of them had simply made up that Richard had been sent to the facility just before the collapse, and that they had escaped using the river, the injuries they had caused by falling debris. Penny had since been treated by an ambulance, and cleared to go home almost immediately, her arm bandaged up. Richard and Bolt were given nothing more than quick inspections, before similarly being cleared to go home.

Penny continued walking, a smile spreading across here face. She may have to lie to almost every single person in town, but the important thing was that they still knew her and Bolt, and they were still happy to have her back. She may have drastically changed her appearance during the adventure, but already that was starting to wear off. Her cheap brown hair dye had long since been washed out by the river, her hair almost completely back to its normal, flaming red, although it was a touch longer than it had been. She still wore that strange, black business suit from their botched infiltration of the Bolivia facility, but it was ragged, torn and filthy, and she had her red backpack, which emergency workers had somehow salvaged from the ruins of the facility, mostly intact. She was still Penny to anyone who looked, but they could tell that she was different. She knew that her eyes must now hold a new look, a new sense of wariness and understanding, a side-effect of her massive, death-defying adventure. Any last traces of innocence her thirteen-year-old body still held were now long gone. To anyone who looked into her eyes, she was no longer a girl, she was now a woman in everything but age and appearance, and Penny knew that even those would change with time.

A couple of the people they passed asked about Bolt's mark. The first time Penny looked down at Bolt, a little surprised by the question. The mark had been there for who seemed like forever, to Penny it seemed perfectly normal now. But the problem remained; how could she explain something that everyone knew had not been there before she left? The simple answer was the that she could not explain it, in any way...so she did not even try. Anyone who asked simply got a shrug in response, and it was up to them to draw their own conclusions.

Which left Penny with yet another problem...Bolt's powers. Richard desperately wanted to keep Bolt's abilities a careful secret, but how was Penny going to stop him from using them? Richard had promised to try and find a way of bringing Bolt back to normal, but with Calico headquarters, and therefore, his company, in ruins, there was no technology capable of doing such a thing. Penny knew that, no matter what she wanted, Bolt would always have his powers, and he was going to just have to learn not to use them. It meant that she was going to have to train him all over again, but in the end, if that kept them safe, that was what she had to do. Besides, it would give her -

"Penny! You're back!"

Penny groaned instantly. If there was one thing she had not missed about Silverlake, it was definitely that voice. And sure enough, an instant later, Brady came rushing down the street, grinning broadly at her. Penny simply shook her head in exasperation. She had been gone for two weeks, and been on the adventure from hell, and yet still, after all this time, all these changes, Brady was still out to win her heart, if for nothing more than his own stupid sense of accomplishment.

Finally Brady reached Penny stopping in front of her. "I heard about what happened in LA!" he cried, in a rather poor attempt at concern. "Are you alright? What happened?"

Penny's first thought was to ignore him, cast him aside as she always had done in the past. But something made her stop...the time for ignorance had passed. Brady was a major pain in her backside, and she thought it was time to remove it.

"Brady," she said, her voice perfectly calm and even. "Why do you even bother asking?"

The retaliatory question surprised him. "What do you mean?" he asked, his voice feigning innocence. "You've been gone for two weeks, without telling a single person where you're going...and then you show up on the news as being inside that collapsing facility! I was worried about - "

"Oh, shut up, Brady!" Penny's voice suddenly turned cold and severe, silencing Brady immediately. "We both know that you have absolutely no idea how to worry about anyone besides yourself! You're a stupid, selfish boy, and I have no idea why you're so interested in me, but I've had enough! I have absolutely no intention of going out with you, even if you're the last guy on this planet!"

The words stunned Brady, as much for their ferocity as their meaning. He was not used to a Penny that would fight back like this. He was used to ignorance, not resistance. but he recovered quickly. "I see you're still trying to play that way. But that's - "

Penny once again interrupted him. "Look at me, Brady!" she yelled, shoving her face close to Brady's. "Look at my eyes. Look at them, and answer honestly...am I lying to you? Do you see any attraction - any at all - in these eyes?"

Brady froze, completely taken aback by this sudden turn of events, which made Penny smile inwardly. She had caught him off-guard, and now, at last, she could end this stupid love chase Brady was so insistent on following. Finally, Brady did as he was told, his pride and self-assurance obviously expecting to find the attraction he had been looking for for so long from her. But his face, after studying hers for a few seconds, fell dramatically and Penny knew, in that moment, that she had won. She knew that all Brady could see was her annoyance and utter contempt for him, and he was struggling to accept it.

"You see, Brady?" she said, allowing a hint of triumph to leak into her tone. "All this time, you have been chasing after someone who doesn't want you. You are not perfect, Brady...no-one is, and I think it's about time you learned that. Now you can go and date someone who actually wants you, and stop this stupid chase, because I've had enough!" With that, Penny turned on her heel and, whistling to Bolt once more, walked off down the road, with no intention of looking back.

But Brady, it seemed, was not quite done. "I think I get it now," he finally said, slowly. But Penny detected something colder in his voice, and she knew that she may have pushed him too far this time. "I think I finally see."

"You'd better, Brady...because I don't want to have to put up with any more of your pathetic charms." Penny could not help but stop. _What is he up to? What is he planning?_ Bolt seemed to sense that something was amiss, turning back and growling at Brady.

And even as Penny turned back herself, she saw Brady smiling, looking at Bolt, and suddenly realised where his twisted thought train had led him. "That dog is your life," he said, in that same, cold tone. "While he exists, there can be no room for anyone else in your heart. You love that dog too much, Penny. Maybe it's time to fix that."

Penny's jaw dropped. Brady, a thirteen-year-old boy, was threatening Bolt...over a simple case of dating! Penny realised that Brady's selfish, spoilt nature was clashing with this new-found denial of something he craved, and it was causing him to think irrationally. If she did not put him in his place, right now, bad things would happen.

And in that moment, several things happened at once.

Brady grabbed a solid, heavy tree branch off the ground, and charged Bolt, with the obvious intention of beating the dog senseless. Bolt instantly made to attack Brady, to defend himself and Penny, but Penny's sharp call stopped him. If Brady was going to call off this mad scheme, she was going to have to be the one to do it. She stepped forward, moving in front of Bolt, blocking Brady's headlong charge. But the boy just kept on coming, branch raised, face twisted in a loathing snarl.

But even as he approached Penny and Bolt, Penny simply stepped forward, meeting his charge, before side-stepping deftly around him, her arms wrapping around his stomach as he passed her. Using all the strength her small body possessed, she wheeled him around, tearing him away from the White Shepherd he sought to harm, before letting him go, causing him to overbalance and trip, crashing heavily to the ground, flat on his face, the branch spinning from his grasp. he made to roll over and get up, but he only got as far as rolling onto his back, before Bolt was on top of him, pinning him down. but he did not make any further move, instead turning to face Penny as Brady cowered before him, waiting for a command.

"Stay, Bolt," Penny commanded, smiling as Bolt obeyed completely, not moving from his position on Brady's torso, although he did resume growling savagely at the boy, who cowered further as Penny came up to him. "Now you listen carefully, Brady. I have absolutely no interest in you...do you understand?" she spoke slowly, just in case Brady's slow mind was having trouble keeping up. "This has nothing to do with Bolt or anyone else, for once, it is just you. I do not like you, Brady. The sooner you accept that, the better." Whistling once again to Bolt, she made to walk off again, smiling as she heard Brady groan as Bolt jumped off him without any attempt at being gentle.

But as Bolt reached her side, she thought of one more thing. "Oh, and one more thing, Brady." She never turned back. "If you ever try to hurt me, or my dog, or anyone I care about, ever again, you will regret it." And with that, cold warning, she left Brady there, never looking back, knowing that, at last, her problems with him were over.

Her happiness only improved when she finally passed through the rest of the town, and came across the one sight she had been longing to see for two weeks...her home. She could only see the front side of it, with the driveway and the front porch, but she knew that the damage to the place would still be there from when she and Bolt had fought off Calico's men for the first time. But she did not care...all that would be fixed in time. All she cared about as she crossed the last road, Bolt barking with joy beside her, was that, after everything that had happened, everything she had been through, it was now, at last, well and truly over.

"Well, Bolt..." she said quietly to her faithful companion as she crossed the front yard, grinning and waving as she saw Richard walk out of the front door to greet them. "...we're back. We're home."


	63. Epilogue: Arms Race And Author's Notes

**Epilogue**

**Arms Race**

As it had over five years ago, the bell attached to the front door of the Silverlake Pet Store tinkled as it opened, a tall, thin man with a shock of wild brown hair and a short beard walked inside, heading straight for the front counter.

Only this time, the man was alone. No girl, little or otherwise, accompanied him, and the man, rather than smiling at some happy occasion, had his face locked in a serious frown. Whatever he was here for, it had absolutely no relation to that other, happy visit.

"Ah, hey there, Richard!" Joe cried as he saw Richard coming up to him.

"Hey, Joe!" Richard replied, managing a weak smile

It had been close to a week since Penny and Richard had returned to Silverlake, and things were fast returning to normal. The house was not fixed yet, but it was not far off. Penny had returned to school for the next term, and, with his help, she had convinced the school to allow Bolt to accompany Penny with her. Ever since they had returned, Bolt was even more protective of Penny than he had been, simply refusing to stay at home while she went to school. The school had initially fought to keep Bolt away, but in the end, with a town as close-knit as Silverlake, they realised that it would not make much difference if they let Bolt stay. In the end, it turned out that Bolt did very little to disrupt to school, although Richard had heard rumours that one boy, a classmate of Penny's, refused to go within twenty feet of Bolt for some strange reason.

But Bolt was also becoming a little more independent, as well as being even more protective. Sometimes, when Penny was home, Richard would notice that Bolt sometimes went out for short wanders, and could have sworn that he once saw Bolt sitting at the end of the street with another dog. But in the end, Richard had forced himself to set those things aside...he had much more important matters to deal with.

He turned back to Joe. "Have you got him in?"

Joe nodded. "This way."

Richard once more fell into his thoughts as he followed Joe down into the back of the store. The one thing that had bugged Richard ever since he had escaped from the underground cavern was that, having announced his resignation from Calico Technology very strongly, he was now out of a job. In the end, that had almost fixed itself. It seemed that there was some mild knowledge, in certain circles, of his abilities as a genetic researcher, and as such, several universities had offered him positions in their research sectors within days. He had since taken on one of those jobs, and had already begun work. It was demanding, but not to the same level as Calico had been, and as such, he was able to see Penny a lot more. Better still, he had weekends off, now, and so was able to spend far more time where he was really meant to be...at home, with his daughter.

But he had not stopped following the news, and knew that, despite Calico's organisation coming to pieces, his problems, and Penny's, were far from over. The day after the collapse of the Los Angeles plant, Calico had been found, alive, on a beach on the outskirts of Los Angeles. He had stayed overnight in hospital, and had since been released, at which point he had simply disappeared, vanishing as he always did, while his company slowly began to shut down, one facility and office at a time. Barely a week on, already every single one of Calico's international facilities had already shut down, along with most of his local ones in the United States. Richard guessed that, within the month, Calico Technology would be no more.

But that did not mean that Calico was finished. In fact, Richard was certain that Calico was actually collapsing and selling his organisation deliberately, gathering up as much money and things as he could, before spiriting himself away to some unknown location. From there, he would start anew, and work on yet another plan to make the world his. Richard knew this, and knew that, now, he was the only one who could slow him down. He had no idea what Calico was up to, or when he would next reveal himself. But he knew that, when that time came, he would have to be ready, and to do that, he needed to continue the research Calico had sent him on for five long years, continue the research that the university he now worked for would no doubt disapprove of.

That was why he was at the Pet Store today...because Joe was one of the select few who knew of his past, and knew what he had to do. Penny knew as well, and she was not happy about it. But she knew that it was necessary, and in the end, she had agreed, on the condition that Bolt was never used in these experiments again. Richard had agreed gladly, he had no intention of experimenting on Bolt ever again...he despised experimenting on any animal, but it was necessary...he had to do it, or Calico would win once more. It was a secret, private, genetic arms race now, between him and Calico. And the first one to fall behind would ultimately fail. Richard knew he was on the back foot, that Calico had all the resources at his disposal. But Richard was determined, and knew he was fighting for the ultimate cause...and that kept him going.

Finally, Joe lead Richard into the very same back room Richard had previously used to house all of the items he thought Penny would need if Calico ever came for her. Now, the room was mostly empty. There was only one object, in the back corner of the room: It was a clear sided box, a small animal pen of kind, and inside it, sleeping quietly inside a small, plastic exercise ball, was a pudgy, furry brown hamster.

"That's it?" Richard asked.

"That's the hamster you ordered, yes. One of the most resilient I could find, although he never seems to leave that damn ball. It's become a second skin for that rodent. According to the guys I got him from, he's called Rhino, and he's perfect for your...uses."

"Rhino?" Richard repeated, staring a Joe. "Rhino...the hamster?"

Joe shrugged. "I just got him here for you...I didn't name him."

Richard stared at him for a few more seconds, then let the matter drop. The name was insignificant. "His genetic line is stable?"

"According to the breeders, his genetics are as stable as they come...for a hamster, at least."

Richard moved forward, opening the pen and pulling out the little exercise ball, deciding to get a closer look at Rhino. The little hamster woke up, stretching was pudgy frame, before fixing his big, gentle eyes on Richard, staring at him blankly. After a brief inspection, Richard concluded that the hamster was a little on the fat side, but that he seemed healthy and strong enough, and would be more than suitable for his needs.

"He's perfect, Joe! You've done it again!"

"Can't say that I'm glad to help you this time, now that I know what you're up to," Joe replied darkly. "But I can say that I understand why you're doing this, and I'll continue to help you any way I can."

"Thanks, Joe," Richard said, smiling as he put a friendly hand on Joe's shoulder. "That means a lot. But you've done enough for now, I can handle things from here for the next few months, I think."

Joe nodded. "Then I'll leave you to it," he said simply, before leaving the small storage room, shutting the door behind him.

the moment the latch clicked shut, Richard moved towards the opposite corner of the room, just to the left of the door, taking Rhino with him. There, he felt his way along the concrete wall, feeling, searching for...

There! He felt a small imperfection in the concrete, a place where it felt like a tiny crack had formed, circling around in such a way that it created a loose chunk of concrete. Richard quickly pressed on this concealed button, and with a soft, hydraulic hiss, a panel of the concrete floor fell away, before sliding aside, revealing a ladder that descended into darkness. Richard tucked Rhino's ball under his arm, and deftly slid down the ladder, not bothering with the steps. He slid down for a short time, travelling close to fifty yards underground, before his feet hit cold steel. Putting Rhino firmly in his hand once more, Richard felt around for the master light switch, finding it almost instantly and flicking it, lighting up the large underground room with bright florescent light.

The underground room was an almost exact copy of his experimentation lab back in Highton. Computers and various pieces of machinery were strewn everywhere, all of them slowly coming to life, filling the room with a low but insistent hum. What looked like a doctor's examination room lay in one corner, and a small, cheap television rested in another corner. It was Richard's new genetic experimentation lab, where he could examine the animals - and possibly humans - in question, program the genetic alteration sequences, and actually perform them, before processing the results. Once again, a wave of self-disgust crawled through him at the thought of what he was going to do over the next few weeks to this innocent little hamster, but he forced it aside. He knew he had no choice, and that Calico would be searching for a solution even more ruthlessly, and was probably working on it right now. If he did not do this, Calico could claim the world once more without any trouble, even with Bolt's powers. It was either perform mild cases of animal cruelty, or see the world destroyed...he knew which one was the better choice. Besides, if everything went as planned, it would not be animal cruelty, considering what Rhino would become.

Richard took a deep breath, and finally committed himself to this new project. "Alright, Rhino...let's get to work!"

* * *

_**Author's Notes:**_

_**And, at long last, "Bolt the Superdog: Origins", finally reaches it's end! And I must admit, as opposed to being thrilled, I am actually rather sad.**_

_**I have seriously enjoyed writing this story, and now that it's over, I feel like Bolt as he leaves Mittens and Mindy behind to head home. The grand, exciting adventure, though over, and allowing normality to return, leaves a lingering sadness behind, as the adventure forces you to leave a piece of yourself behind with it.**_

_**But, in the end, as the saying goes, 'all good things must come to an end', and sadly, it is now Origins' turn. But in a way, it is not over, for the story will remain on the site for as long as this place continues to exist, I can guarantee you that! In the end, as I leave this story behind, all I can do is hope and pray that you, the reader, enjoyed this story as much, if not more, than I did.**_

_**But, as is stands, there are a few things I must say before I go; the first of those...is a list of acknowledgments. It's time for those people who sat in the shadows and lent their minds to this story to finally stand and be recognised! And so, in no particular order, I give you:**_

_**1. Everyone at Walt Disney Studios: Without their spark of animated brilliance that was, and still is, the movie "Bolt", this story would have never, ever, come into existance. On top of everyone at Disney, a huge thank you must go to all the actors and actresses who lent their voices to that movie. They may not be directly affiliated with Disney, but they were the heart and soul of that movie!**_

_**2. Hunter Lord: At least that is his Internet name (just like mine is Australian Chaos...do you really think people call me that in real life?). Hunter is one of my best and closest friends, and therefore, a big thank you must go to him for helping me with some of my ideas for this story, and for tolerated the fact that a grown man (19) became close to obsessed with a Disney animated film!**_

_**3. Everyone who reviewed: A huge thanks must go to this group, for their encouragement and support kept me going right until the very end. I will not name names, but if your name is among the list of reviewers, then this is for you, and all the support you gave me! Oh, and by the way, keep those reviews coming! Now that the story's over, and you have the full picture, you can give a much better insight into what you thought of Origins!**_

_**4. Everyone who simply read Origins: Even if you did not review, you still deserved a hearty thank you, because your contribution helped me smile every time I looked at the Story Stats. (By the way, as of February 6, the total count stands at over 5,000 individual hits to my story, which is great!**_

_**I could really go on and on and on for another 10,000 words about this, but seeing as the story is already at 160,000, I think I'll leave it at that.**_

_**And now, as a final tribute, I would like to present you readers with a gift, and a request.**_

_**The gift, as a reward for making it all the way through my admittedly gigantic story, and reading all the way through to this point, is small, but I think many of you might enjoy it! My gift is, for those who are interested, a way of contacting me!  
My central e-mail address is  
'aus . chaos . 165 (at) gmail . com'  
(sorry about the strange layout but something's screwing with it...just remove the spaces and replace (at) with an at symbol), and is the one I check the most frequently. If you wish to send an e-mail, send it there, or suffer my eternal ignorance! (Okay, in all seriousness, I MAY get back to you if you send an e-mail via the alternative address, but I can't guarantee it, and you will almost certainly have a long wait ahead of you!)  
My alternate e-mail address is  
'australian chaos 165 (at) hotmail . com'  
(again, just remove the spaces), and it comes with one significant bonus...I actually do use Windows Live (formerly MSN). So if you like using instant messaging over e-mails (I know I do), feel free to add me to your contacts list. Just make sure that the invite mentions something about this site or Origins, as I will not add contacts who just appear out of the blue!  
This gift is specifically designed so that those who want to stay in contact with me, or perhaps learn a little more about me, can do so. I'm not the most social person on the Earth, very far from it, but I find I'm a lot more open over the glorious invention that is the Internet. So come along, add me into your IM contacts list, and have a chat, I won;t bite!**_

_**And now for the request:  
My request is a very simple one. If you have any questions, any at all, about Origins in any way, whether it's about the story, the design, or even the smallest little piece of trivia. If it's to do with Origins, or me as a fan fiction author, feel free to ask, either via Private Message, review, or e-mail. Private MEssages are much preferrable. If I get enough meaningful question, I may post them, along with the answers for them, here, in this story, as a sort of 'Author Interview', to wrap up the story. So get asking!**_

_**And with all this, I also have one, final announcement:**_

_**Anyone who has seen my profile, or talked with my via PM, will most likely know that I have planned out two sequels to Origins. It is therefore with deep regret that I announce that not only has that project been canceled, but Origins is to remain my sole fan fiction on this site.  
I have decided that, with my writing as it is, that it time to track down the Holy Grail of writing...publication. For those who don't understand, this means writing a novel, completely original, and selling it into bookstores. It is an exceptionally lofty goal, but I believe I have what it takes, and as such, I am going after it with everything I've got.  
I will frequently check back in to this site, looking for additional reviews, and questions for the Author's Interview (which I plan on constantly updating as new questions come to light). I just will no longer be posting any new stories or chapters.**_

_**And so, with those final, lengthy words. I must at last say good-bye! To all you writer's out there, here is this advice. "Keep your pens sharp, your keyboards clean, and remember: There is no such thing as a wannabe writer...either you are a writer, or you are not, and only YOU can make that choice!"  
**_


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